Fanfic:Of Roses, Bone China and Tea (China and HK)

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Title: Of Roses, Bone China and Tea
Author/Artist: Me
Character(s) or Pairing(s): China and Hong Kong (Taiwan, Alfred and Arthur in reference)
Rating: PG
Warnings: Politics and Current Affairs  
Summary: Hong Kong struggles with life in China’s house
 

After Ka_yakusoku’s delightful Koucha photo comic, I was struck with a sudden craving for McVitie’s chocolate digestives and went out to buy them.http://hetalia.livejournal.com/10811224.html

Reading the bilingual traditional Chinese and English info on the packaging, I found out that it was imported by HK but made in England. Which inspired the following fic(written in a mad rush):

Of  Roses, Bone China and Tea  

Hong Kong sat quietly in the little rose garden enjoying a fine cup of Darjeeling First Flush from his Royal Albert Old Country Roses bone china tea set, which Arthur gave him as a parting present in 1997. He admired how the muscatel amber liquor of the tea glowed in the late afternoon sunlight in the translucent gold-rimmed teacup. The deep blushing red roses on the white china echoed those of the real roses emitting their alluring perfume under the humid warmth of the sun. 

Yao had given him permission to carve a little English country garden of his own out of his own vast garden estates after he returned back to Yao’s house. Hidden behind trellises, this was his own refuge where he was seldom disturbed, to which he fled when he was troubled or had no pressing business to take care of. Hong Kong was aware that Yao was disturbed by the way he had changed while he was away (for instance, those awful eyebrows) but was also aware that Yao was keeping himself under restraint with regards to reforming him for which he was grateful. 

Hence the rose garden, an incongruous corner of an otherwise traditionally Chinese gardenscape. He knew that Yao was trying to keep his promise not to change him for 50 years, though he also knew it was with an eye with impressing his sister, whom Yao was trying to persuade to come home. Hong Kong was not a talkative person and he had no one to share his inner confusion with. Yao was intellectually unable to grasp his strangeness and Taiwan, who might have understood to some extent (she had her own unrequited passion for Japan), was busy running her own household and eluding Yao’s stratagems to have her come home. 

Today, he was having his afternoon tea as usual. Normally, he would be having scones (baked to perfection with his own hands of course) with raspberry jam and cream as well as cucumber sandwiches but yesterday, a new secret care package from Arthur had just arrived. He did not tell his guardian that Arthur occasionally sent his childhood favorite snacks over. He was enjoying plain chocolate McVitie’s though they looked a little incongruous on his Royal Albert. No matter, as long as they were from Arthur, they were a delicacy worth of the finest bone china. His dark thoughts dispelled, he was lost in a pleasant reverie when Yao came bursting into the garden. 

“Aiyah, there you are! I was wondering where you’ve been. What’s that stuff you’re eating and drinking? It’s so close to dinnertime and I’m cooking something special tonight. Aiyo! Chocolate biscuits!!?? So fattening! 

I remember when you went away you were such a cute and plump boy! I always knew it was just baby fat that would melt away but if you don’t take care, you’ll become fat for good! Too much chocolate is not good for you, it’s too “yang” and will make your body out of balance. Why not eat something that will nourish your health instead? Like jujubes and lotus seeds and gingko nuts? 

What tea are you drinking? Oh, it’s that awful black tea that the opium devil made India produce. It’s murk that suits that bastard.” 

“It’s the best Darjeeling.” Hong Kong replied mildly. 

“You know the story. The bastard thought of a way so that he won’t be dependent on me for tea anymore and he stole the seeds from me to plant in India’s house. It doesn’t matter, my tea is still the best and now I’m the largest producer again.” China huffed. 

“Stop drinking that crap, you know you can have my finest West Lake Dragon Well, Dong Ting Bi Luo Chun, Anxi Iron Goddess of Mercy, Yunnan Pu-erh, White Furred Silver Needle and any tea you like anytime. Just ask. Tell you what; I’ll give you my favorite Yixing purple clay teapot set. It’s a Ming dynasty antique which I keep specially for brewing Big Red Robe. The opium devil only came up with bone china because he couldn’t make porcelain as good as my Jingdezhen!”

Hong Kong is silent. “It’s not the same.” He said finally in a low voice.

A stricken look came over China’s face. “Why aren’t you happy, Hong Kong? I give you everything you need. What more do you want? You don’t need to worry about food or drink, my soldiers keep you safe, my tourists come over to spend their yuan in your most expensive boutiques. My economy is doing well and one day I’ll regain my place as the centre of the world and you’ll be a prized part of it all.”

So many thoughts were swirling inside Hong Kong’s mind, so many emotions that he could not even begin to express them. “I...just want to be myself. Freedom...”

“Yes yes, I know, that democrazy thing that bastard brainwashed you with as he was leaving. Tell me what democracy you had when you were living with him. You were second-class, just a money-making golden goose that Arthur was reluctant to hand over. You were never his favorite; he never really cared for you. Stop fooling yourself! He drugged me and he tore you from my arms when I was weak and brought low! Now I have gotten you back at last but you’re no longer the boy you were.” To Hong Kong’s dismay, tears shimmered in China’s eyes. 

“Am I also just a prized possession to you? ” He asked finally, amazed by his own boldness. 

“Of course not, you’re my little brother, my own flesh and blood! I never thought I’ll hear such words from your mouth. Such insolence, you have forgotten your own ancestors like your sister. They are probably turning in their graves. She seems to think Japan is her real older brother instead of me and she allows that American bastard to keep me away from her house. Just because I was poor and backward, it doesn’t mean that you two should despise me! As the saying goes, “Even if your mother is ugly, she’s still your mother!” Anyway, I’m doing much better now. Who dares to ignore me now? I think your people need more patriotic education so that they remember that they are Chinese, part of a great civilization with 5000 years of history. Also less of that accursed devil tongue and more Mandarin lessons.” 

“I do know that I’m Chinese. I still use traditional characters like Taiwan, unlike you.” 

China blushed. He blustered, “Oh well, what will you have me do? I have lots of illiterate peasants and they don’t have the time to learn such complicated characters. Anyway, some of the simplifications are based on old grass script, even if your sister insists on using traditional to boost her claims to being the true heir to Chinese culture.” 

“Perhaps you should give Taiwan a little breathing space right now. Her presidential election is near and it would disastrous if the wrong person won.” 

China shot Hong Kong an injured look. “Don’t tell me you support her foolish plans to be on her own!”

 “Of course not.” Hong Kong remarked mildly. 

“You wait and see. I’m old and patient. I have seen empires rise and fall. Right now, I’m building my first aircraft carrier and we’ll see how long that bankrupt American imperialist can keep up his military in my backyard. Your sister keeps paying off developing countries in the hope that they would recognize her as a nation. It won’t work. What a waste of money! I can’t wait for this rigmarole to be over. I’ll get her back, train her to be a good Chinese girl and we’ll have dinner as a family again. I have told my people that we’ll definitely get our “Treasure Island” back. No matter what, independence is unacceptable!” 

“I think I know how she feels sometimes, even if I don’t agree she should leave us.” 

“Fine! Be ungrateful for all I’ve done for you! If my old body gets a heart attack, it’ll be your fault!” 

Yao swept the bone china off the table with his long sleeve and stormed out of the garden sanctuary. 

Hong Kong gazed sadly at the broken china shards lying on the grass. The last rays of the sun were fading and darkness shrouded the shadows in the garden whose peace had been violated. What should he do? He knew that Yao wanted his people to be just like his own and couldn’t understand their restiveness and difference. 

He felt like a lost child, an Asian colony in Arthur’s house and now out of place in the bosom of his real family. Hybrid, tainted with foreignness, his habits and thoughts shaped by the Western ways his brother so despised. He was the “Pearl of the Orient” but he knew some of his brother’s people were eager to develop their own cities, such as Shanghai to take over his special place in Yao’s house. What would happen to him in the future when the 50 years were over? 

Some of his people who had fled before 1997 had actually returned. Hong Kong closed his eyes. He was determined not to give up. He had confidence in the resourcefulness and strength of his people. He may never be the way that his brother wanted but he did not want to lose his own character, forged in a cauldron of East and West, like the yuanyang infusion of coffee and tea. 

Resolutely, he swept the biscuit crumbs off his lap and strode out of the darkened garden. It was time to go over his accounts before Yao called him for dinner. 

不要拍我！*Don’t hit me* (runs away)

 Notes:

Royal Albert Old Country Roses

http://roses-and-teacups.com/collectible-teacups.php

Arthur, India and China’s tea: Arthur had started tea cultivation in colonial India in order to break China’s monopoly on the tea trade. 

West Lake Dragon Well, Big Red Robe etc. are all famous top quality Chinese teas. They are very expensive. 

Yixing is famous for its special purple clay which is used to make its famous teapots used for brewing oolongs and pu-erh. 

Bone china which uses animal bone ash, was created by Arthur when he was trying to create porcelain as fine as that of Yao’s. Jingdezhen is China’s most famous porcelain production centre with its characteristic qingbai (blue and white) ware. 

Food and drink: Most of Hong Kong’s food and water are imported from the mainland. 

5000 years: Chinese people say traditionally that China is 5000 years old. Actually, no one knows his exact age. It seems to be 4000 plus based on my research. 

Traditional character vs. simplified (I was taught simplified as a child)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simplified_Chinese_character

Presidential election: Taiwan is having one in 2012, with Ma Yingjiu (KMT) vs. pro-independence DPP candidate Tsai Ing-wen. 

“Treasure Island”: Taiwan is referred to as “Treasure Island” in Yao’s house.

 “Pearl of the Orient”: Hong Kong’s nickname. There’s this very well-known old song about Hong Kong.

 http://youtu.be/3kJYlDgxOLY

1997: A lot of Hong Kong people migrated before 1997 because they were afraid of what would happen after the handover to places like Canada, Australia, US etc. Some of them later returned to HK with foreign passports in tow. 

Yuanyang: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yuanyang_%28drink%29

Photos of my booty:

Despite all the traditional Chinese characters on it (HK uses traditional remember?), it’s made by Arthur. Sorry for the blurriness, I took them with my phone.

 

Out of their packaging:en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digestive_biscuit#Chocolate_digestives