Chapter 15 Chapter fifteen

Hatsumomo smiled when she was happy, like everyone else; but she was happiest when she made others suffer.That's why she said the following with a big smile on her face: "Oh, my God! What a strange coincidence. Behold, a novice! I really ought not to go any further, for fear I should embarrass the poor little thing." I wished Mameha would say goodbye and take me away, but she just gave me an anxious look.She must have felt that Liu Chutao was alone with these men, like leaving a house on fire; in this case, it would be better for us to stay and control the situation. "Honestly, I don't think there's anything more difficult than being a novice," Hatsumomo said. "Don't you think so, Pumpkin?"

Pumpkin was also a novice six months ago, but she is now a full-fledged apprentice.I gave her a sympathetic look, but she just knelt on her hands and knees, staring at the table.I know her too well to know that little wrinkle on her nose means she's depressed. "I think so, ma'am," she said. "Being a novice was a tough time in life," Hatsumomo continued, "I still vividly remember how hard it was for me... What's your name, little novice?" Fortunately, I didn't have to answer because Mameha spoke. "You're quite right that your rookie years were indeed a difficult time in your life, Hatsumomo. Of course, that's because you were unluckier than most."

"I want to hear the whole story," said a man. "Aren't you afraid of embarrassing the poor novice who just joined us?" Hatsumomo said, "If you promise not to think about this poor girl when you listen to the story, I will tell it. You must change your imaginary object." Hatsumomo is really clever.Men may not have associated the story with me, but now they will definitely assume that the story is about me. "Let's think about it, where did I just say that?" Hatsumomo began. "Oh, yes. Well, the newbie I was talking about...I don't remember her name anymore, but I should give her Take a name, lest you should confuse her with this poor girl. Tell me, little novice . . . what is your name?"

"Sayuri, ma'am," I said.I felt my face was burning hot from the tension, and I wouldn't be surprised if my makeup melted away and started dripping down my thighs. "Sayuri. What a cute name! It doesn't suit you very well. Well, let's call the novice in the story 'Dayuri'. It happened like this. One day I was walking down Shijo Street with Dairy. It was very windy. Big, poor Dairyu didn't have much experience in kimonos, she was as light as a leaf, and the sleeves of her kimono were like sails. When we were about to cross the road, she disappeared, and I heard a very light noise behind me. Sound, 'Ah ... Ah,' The volume is very weak ... I turned around and found that the poor big lily was scratched by the wind behind the wind. There was a block from me. I nearly snapped my loincloth from laughing, but then all of a sudden, she got up off the curb and staggered to a busy intersection just as a car whizzed by, thank goodness, She was blown up to the hood by the wind! Her legs flew up... if you picture this in your head, the wind just lifted her kimono. So... well, I don't need to say much about what happened next said."

"You must say it!" said a male guest. "Don't you have any imagination at all?" she replied. "The wind lifted the kimono and showed her ass. She didn't want everyone to see her naked, so she turned over to keep her dignity." Unexpectedly, her legs flung in two directions disobediently, and her private parts were pressed against the windshield, facing the driver's face..." Of course, the men were already hysterical at this time, including the manager, who knocked the sake glass on the table like a machine gun, and shouted: "Why have I never encountered such a good thing?"

"But seriously, Mr. Steward," Hatsumomo said, "that girl is just a rookie! Actually the driver can't see anything. I mean, can you imagine seeing this girl's private parts through the table?" Of course, she You're talking about me. "Probably she is no different from a child!" "Girls sometimes start to grow hair at the age of eleven," said a male guest. "How old are you, Miss Sayuri?" Hatsumomo asked me. "I'm fourteen, ma'am," I told her as politely as possible, "but I'm a mature fourteen-year-old girl."

Guys like to hear me say that, and Hatsumomo's smile stiffened a little. "Fourteen?" she said. "Very good! Of course you don't have hair..." "Oh, I have hair. There are many more!" I stretched out a hand to pat the hair on my head. I guess people think I'm very smart doing this, even though it's not a big deal for me.The men laughed even harder than when they were listening to Hatsumomo's story.Hatsumomo laughed too, and I guess it was purely because she didn't want people to think she was the butt of a joke. After the laughter subsided, Mameha and I left, but before we could close the door behind us, we heard Hatsumomo also leave.She and Pumpkin followed us downstairs.

That night after taking a shower and removing my make-up, I was standing in the hallway answering my auntie's inquiry about my day. Hatsumomo came back from the street. Usually she doesn't come back this early, but when I saw her face, I felt Knowing that cleaning me up is the sole purpose of her coming back.She only stood in front of me for a short while, then reached out and slapped me across the face.Before her hand hit me, I caught a glimpse of her clenched teeth like two strings of pearls. I was stunned and couldn't remember what happened immediately after.Auntie and Hatsumomo must have had an argument, though, because I heard Hatsumomo say, "If this girl embarrasses me in public again, I'll be happy to slap her again!"

"How did I embarrass you?" I asked her. "You knew exactly what 'hair' I was referring to, but you made me look like a fool. I owe you something, Chiyo. I'll pay you back soon, I swear." Later, when Mameha and I wandered around Gion, we were always on guard against Hatsumomo.One evening we attended a banquet hosted by the president of Kyoto University.Not long after I got there, I heard the door being opened. I thought it was a maid coming in to deliver sake, but there were Hatsumomo and Pumpkin kneeling in the corridor. "Oh, my God!" I heard Mameha ask her guests, "Is your watch on time?"

"Very punctual," he said. "I set my watch against the clock at the station every afternoon." "I'm afraid Sayuri and I have to take our rude leave. We should have been in another place half an hour ago!" After saying this, we got up and slipped out of the banquet the moment Hatsumomo and Pumpkin entered.On our way out of the teahouse, Mameha pulled me into an empty tatami room. "What did you say to that wicked woman earlier today?" Mameha asked me. "Say nothing, ma'am!" "Then how did she find us here?" "I didn't even know we were coming here," I said. "How could I possibly tell her."

"My maid knows about my appointment, but I can't imagine...well, let's go to a banquet that almost no one knows about. Minghe Zhaochen was just appointed as the new conductor of the Tokyo Philharmonic last week. He's coming to town this afternoon Ri good to give everyone a chance to worship him. I don't really want to go to his banquet, but... at least Hatsumomo won't be there." We cross Shijo Street and turn into an alley that smells of sake and roasted sweet potatoes.Above our heads, the patter of laughter spilled from the brightly lit windows on the second floor.Once inside the tea house, a young maid led us to a room on the second floor, where the conductor sat, chatted with Mameha for a while, and soon asked her to dance.No sooner had the maid brought a handful of shamisen into the hands of a geisha—Mameha hadn't even gotten into a pose—the door was pulled open, and... Hatsumomo and pumpkin again. Seeing the way Mameha and Hatsumomo smiled at each other, one would almost think they were sharing a private joke - but in truth, I'm sure Hatsumomo was gloating at finding us victoriously, and as for Mameha... well, I think she's just hiding her anger with a smile.When she danced, I could see her chin pouted and her nostrils opening and closing.After a dance, she didn't even go back to the table, but said directly to the conductor: "Thank you so much for allowing us to drop by! I'm afraid it's getting too late... Sayuri and I must say goodbye now..." I can't describe how happy Hatsumomo was when we closed the door and left. I followed Mameha down the stairs.When she reached the bottom step, she stopped and waited.At last a maid rushed into the hall to see us out--the same maid who had led us upstairs. "How much did Hatsumomo promise to give you?" The maid's gaze immediately fell to the floor. After some time we learned that Hatsumomo had hired at least one maid in every first-class tea house in Gion.So, whenever Mameha and I went to a banquet, someone would call Yoko—the girl who answered the phone in our geishan. As we left the tea house, we could hear Hatsumomo's voice from the upper window. "But seriously, that was too embarrassing for her... I mustn't tell you! She looks like a nice girl..." "I'm not very impressed with her," said a man, "but she's very beautiful." "Those eyes are so special!" said a geisha. "You know what I heard a man say about her eyes the other day?" Hatsumomo said. "He told me they were the color of crushed worms." "Crushed worms...I'm sure I've never heard anyone describe a color like that before." "Well, I'm going to tell you something about her," Hatsumomo continued, "but you've got to make sure you don't tell it. She's got some kind of disease, and her breasts look like old women's—all sagging, Wrinkled - really, horrible! I saw it once in the bathroom..." Mameha and I had been stopping to listen, but upon hearing this, Mameha gave me a slight push, and we walked out of the alley together. "I was thinking about where we could go, but... I can't even think of a place. If that woman can find us here, then I guess she will find us anywhere in Gion. Before we come up with a new Before planning, you'd better go back to your art gallery, Sayuri." I was supposed to go out to many parties every night, but now I was forced to stay in the kekkan to practice dancing and shamisen, as if my life hadn't changed, it was the same as the year before.When Hatsumomo, in full dress, passed me in the hallway, her white face against the dark gown was like the moon in the night sky, and I'm sure even a blind man would find her beautiful.But when I saw her, I didn't feel anything, only hatred, even the sound of the pulse beating in my ears was full of hatred. In the next few days, I was called to Mameha's apartment several times.Each time, I expected her to say that she had found a way to hide from Hatsumomo, but she just wanted me to help her with some errands that couldn't be entrusted to the maids.One afternoon, I asked her if she knew what my future held. "I'm afraid you are currently being expelled from society, Miss Sayuri." She replied, "I hope you will strengthen your determination to defeat that evil woman! But until I figure out a way, you follow me in Gion Wandering around won't do you any good." One day, just before noon, I came back from school to find a note telling me to pack my makeup and rush to Mameha's apartment as soon as possible.When I got there, Mr. Itchoda (a dresser like Mr. Betsukiya) was tying Mameha's belt in front of a full-length mirror in the back room. "Hurry up and put on your makeup." Mameha said to me, "There is a kimono I've chosen for you in the other room." When I started putting on makeup, Mameha explained to me why she had called me. "The Baron is back in town," she said. "He'll be here for lunch. I want him to see you." The Baron Matsunagagi that Mameha was referring to was her Tanna, and he was undoubtedly one of the richest nobles.His family controls one of Japan's largest banks and is very influential in the financial world. In a few minutes the Baron arrived.I peeked out through the crack in the sliding door and saw him standing at the door, Mameha was helping him take off his shoes.He gave me the first impression of an almond or similar nut, as he was small and round, giving a sense of heaviness, especially around his eyes.Beards were popular in those days, and the Baron had some long, fluffy hairs on his face. I'm sure they belonged to him, but they looked more like decorations to me, like they were sometimes used to sprinkle Thin strips of nori on rice. "Oh, Mameha...I'm so exhausted," I heard him say, "I hate the long train ride!" Finally, he took off his shoes and walked across the room with small brisk steps. I spent at least an hour in Mameha's small dressing room, during which time I heard the maids come and go to serve the baron at his meal.At last the meal was finished, and the maid began to serve tea, and Mameha called me.I went out of the dressing room and knelt before the Baron, feeling very nervous--for I had never met a nobleman before.I bowed to him for his attention, and I was even more embarrassed to find his eyes full of curiosity.