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hetalia2011-05-14 01:19 pm
Fanfic:Of Roses, Bone China and Tea (China and HK)
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.
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
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Amazing story! Very well-written. :3
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Jots down historical evidence for Iggychu shipI'm having mixed feelings about how HK was behaving.
Kinda am agreeing more with Yao (and not because he's my fav heta chara)Nice counterattack, HK You're the one using simplified Chinese XD But Yao came back with a perfect reasoning^^ I...always thought simplified came to be when the cultural revolution crap happened and assholes just wanted to destroy everything "old"Great job with the fic! The time you spent on researching for this shows!
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Nice giraffe btw. I just wished Yao had continued to sail around the world. Someone on the kink meme just requested a AU fic that had American being discovered by Asians. That's a pretty interesting idea.
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I actually identify more with Yao than with HK or Taiwan due to family reasons but I think he turned out somewhat nasty in this fic unintentionally. In my headcanon, he's like a naggy, old-fashioned Chinese parent who has very definite views about everything and is convinced that he is right. My parents, for example, will tell you that Chinese food is the best food in the world (Guess what food my mother cooks everyday?):p
I didn't actually do research for this fic as such, I already knew what I wanted to put in but I had to go back and check facts in case I remembered things wrong. I actually left out a lot of stuff because I couldn't find my sources and couldn't be 100% sure.
More info for readers:
Tea cultivation in colonial India was started by Arthur using Chinese seeds. India does have its own indigenous variant of tea plant (Assam variant) but Darjeeling still uses the Chinese variant.
Arthur had a trade imbalance with Yao. Yao wanted nothing from foreigners whereas the West wanted his tea, silk and porcelain. Hence he came up with the idea of exporting opium, which led to the Opium Wars, and finally the loss of HK.
Taiwan, China and dollar diplomacy:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20110512/wl_asia_afp/taiwanchinapanamadiplomacy
Yao's first aircraft carrier:
http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2011/04/12/2003500545
The son does not despise his ugly mother:子不嫌母丑
Simplified characters: The drive for simplification predates the Communist Revolution. It was thought that part of China's backwardness was due to its writing system(associated with feudalism and old ideas) and writers like Lu Xun actually advocated switching to romanization altogether!
The communists just continued this idea and also it was thought that having easier simplified characters might increase literacy rate. China always had a lot of illiterate rural people though I believe the literacy rate has gone up. However Hong Kong and Taiwan both use traditional and have very high literacy rates. HK is highly urbanized, Taiwan has some rural areas but China is huge and has remote countryside areas where the education system is spotty.So I conclude that it is the education system that matters, not the characters.
Though I guess HK and Taiwan people had to spend more time copying characters as children? I went the lazier route with simplified and am not sure how this affects my intellectual development?! Hehehe Maybe I had more time to learn other stuff? Or am I more stupid as a result? Anyway, I can read traditional somewhat but I recognize fewer characters than in simplified. Simplified just feels more comfy to me but all the Hong Kongers and Taiwanese I meet despise it.
Ka-yakusoku: did you learn trad or simplified?
Do you guys know this anecdote?
http://faroutliers.wordpress.com/2004/04/24/how-stalin-and-the-cultural-revolution-preserved-a-chinese-tradition/
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(That always mystified me, because I don't know anyone who was pleased about returning when the handover happened.)
I learned traditional in school from kindergarten to grade six, and then they tried to switch it upon us and it got so confusing. Traditional is way more useful - the newspapers use it, signs use it, and it just generally looks better.
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I am very conscious about the fact that my own background affects my view of Yao and his siblings.Actually, I was rather anxious about posting this fic because I remember someone getting into an argument with another member in this comm over the "One China" issue. Someone could easily be offended because they have a different viewpoint on Yao, HK or Taiwan and their relationships with one another.
It's very interesting actually.Surveys show that most HKers are against Taiwanese independence though I'm not sure what the reasons are.What do you think are the reasons?
"Traditional is way more useful"- I grew up in an environment where the newspapers and signs use simplified. In other words, in your mirror universe ^_^ I do think characters like "dragon" 龍 look way cooler in traditional but I really hate writing 臺 instead of 台. Or maybe I'm just a lazybones.
Was the switch in HK from trad to simplified and back government policy? It sounds really confusing all right.
I still am not very sure if Yao is Taiwan and HK's father or older brother. It's unclear in canon. Can go both ways really. He does behave like a parental figure.
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HK's version sucks, right? ;_; It's the quality of the chocolate.
...but he is right XD ...and Chinese food is the best XDD Just kidding. I like many cuisines equally with Chinese food :3 He wasn't too nasty...just at the end for smashing HK's teapot. He was being very parent like. Very ranty. Very naggy :D But HK was definitely snotty~ Though HK will always be a snotty brat in my eyes. His ppl are so darn arrogant and fickle ;_;
I'm glad the simplification had a good intention behind it and I'm happy it's making learning easier. Though the article disputes its effectiveness, you are an example of success :) I learned traditional. Guess how Chinese literate I am? XD It's in our gut to hate the simplified style. It's like the comparison in the article. Imagine learning the word as "through" then seeing a newspaper printed full of "thru"s. It's sorta...anger inducing. But...you know how ppl were at first complaining about "lol" and all those other internet phrases? It will slowly ease in with the traditionalists~ (just not in the next few decades cause we really can't read simplified Chinese...it's like a different language unfortunately)
lol, I can't read the whole Chinese phrase you typed and one of the characters I'm reading in Japanese XD Yeah...I fail as a Chinese person
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I'm tired of Chinese food and my mother's a terrible cook :( Left to myself, I cook Japanese, Western and lately Korean food.
Yao is very scary when he gets angry. He has too many people anyway so I often get the feeling losing some of them doesn't matter to him :( Have you seen this? Average Chinese guy composite, I've been joking this is what Yao really looks like:
http://blogs.wsj.com/chinarealtime/2011/03/04/worlds-most-typical-person-han-chinese-man/
Example of success? Hahaha, my Chinese's not too good. I didn't study Chinese hard when I was little. Yao was reeeally poor back then and my parents thought it was a pretty useless language.I'm used to reading "thrus", you can try this add-on if you use firefox. I use it to convert trad to simplified becoz I'm lazy like that."Through" has too many letters.
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-us/firefox/addon/%E6%96%B0%E5%90%8C%E6%96%87%E5%A0%82-new-tong-wen-tang/
子不嫌母丑（zi bu xian mu chou) Sometimes, I know how to pronounce a word in Japanese too but not in Chinese OTL.I'm taking a Chinese placement test soon and I'm scared. What if I test badly and end up in the beginner's class with non-Chinese? 那時候我沒臉見人...
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You too? I feel pretty bad when that happens because I can speak Cantonese pretty well. I probably know the word but just can't connect the sound with the character... I blame the lack of pinyin system for Cantonese! lol, I can read the other sentence...probably incorrectly XD Why so scared? Unless it's your major I don't see any reason :/
Yeah...Asians can't into chocolate...just like Americans XD Our chocolates suck. Why do they suck so much? I need to go to these gourmet places just to get regular European chocolate. It sucks! I like Asian chocolates sometimes, when I want something light, sweet, and melty. Have you had that Melty Kiss chocolate by Kiku before? They're pretty nice...but you need to get the dark chocolate for a regular chocolate taste.
I don't even read Chinese so can't really use that add on. I see so many American parents letting their children learn Mandarin nowadays. It might be the new Latin XD Eventually I might need to learn it too.
My mom's cooking is bad too (I hope I don't end up like her^^). My dad on the contrary is a wonderful cook~ Have you gone through college yet? Almost all the people I know end up craving Chinese food after college regardless of their parent's cooking skill :D
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There's some kind of pinyin for Cantonese but I dunno how it works.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cantonese_pinyin
It's not my major but it's so demoralizing when non-Chinese are better at it than you.
Melty Kiss is ok.
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Patriotic education for HK.
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/China/ME19Ad01.html
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Personally, Yao should have been a girl, even though that deprives me of RoChu yaoi =)
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I'm too lazy to learn now. A decade ago I was very interested.
haha, shows I have no sense of shame^^ It's okay...someday they'll invent a universal translator machine like the ones in cartoons...
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Too lazy to learn Chinese or Korean? I just don't have the time to learn Korean, no energy.
BTW, random question, do you think Yao has single or double eyelids? :3 I'm very interested in looking at the eyes of the characters in Japanese fanworks when they're drawn not in that generic anime rounded way but more realistically.
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Like I said, someday a translating machine will solve all our lazy problems =w=
I think the size of the eyes matter more, in anime anyway. Yao should have big sparkly eyes~~
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I believe there is no such thing as a purely objective view on anything because everyone is biased from their upbringing and surrounding influences. I have gotten into some awkward situations about the "one country two systems" thing, and of course, the issue of Taiwan...I remember one day my parents talking about it and remarking, "Of course they're part of China; they're just in denial" and the next day my American friend complained, "I can't believe [another person] said Taiwan is part of China! That's just stupid!"
I think HKers tend to be supportive of China - not saying that we are willing to submit to anything they say (quite the opposite!!) but I think it's because most of us identify with being ethnically Chinese, and that's something to be proud of and to connect with. For example, we were very happy when China did really well in the 2008 Olympics and honoured that "we" got to be a host (well, horse events were in Hong Kong anyway). So supporting China on the subject of Taiwan probably stems from that. To be clear though, what my parents and probably many other HKers mean about "Taiwan is part of China" is that they can't deny that their roots and culture are Chinese, and that it's wrong for them to try to break away from us completely. As far as I've known, most people here recognize Taiwan as politically independent and are usually fine with it.
I'm not sure whether they went from trad to simplified and then back to trad; I don't think the signs and newspapers actually changed. At school though, I really don't know why. Where did you grow up?
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But I don't hate China.