Rebirth of a Beautiful Diplomat

"Sweetie, wake up! We’re going to miss the bus." Shen Tan was jostled awake. She sat up, and the middle-aged woman beside her handed her clothes. Stiffly, she took them and unfolded them—they weren’t the revealing miniskirts she’d grown accustomed to, but a clean, white short-sleeved button-down shirt. When the woman saw she was staring blankly, she tossed a pair of jeans onto the bed. "What are you spacing out for? Hurry up! We need to catch the first bus into the city, borrow some money from your sister for tuition, and pay it today." Shen Tan belatedly scanned her surroundings, her mind going blank. She looked at the woman—around forty or fifty, with a few white hairs mixed in with the black, the corners of her eyes crinkled with wrinkles, her cheeks gaunt with age. It was a face both familiar and strange. Hesitantly, she called out, "Mom." "Hmm? What’s wrong? Are you sick? You don’t look it," Shen’s mother said, sitting on the edge of the bed to feel her forehead. Confirming she was fine, she turned away. "Hurry up and get dressed." Shen Tan got up, changing out of her Hello Kitty pajamas into the shirt and jeans. She faced the cluttered, cramped room, its peeling walls adorned with yellowed, curling Hong Kong and Taiwan celebrity posters. Confusion washed over her. Was she home? She opened the door and stepped out, kicking a beer bottle at her feet. Bending to pick it up, she looked up to see a middle-aged man lying on a worn-out mattress in what should have been the living room. He was surrounded by beer bottles, cigarette butts, and used tissues, reeking of alcohol. The man opened his sleepy, bleary eyes and muttered, "Why go to school? Go work already. Learn from your sister—find a man. What’s the use of studying? Save the money for Xiao Xiao instead..." He let out a loud, boozy burp and curled up with the bedding, falling back asleep. Shen Tan’s face stiffened as she walked toward the sound of running water. After a few steps, she kicked colorful, cheap plastic toys. In a corner of the living room stood a wooden crib; besides that, there were no other furniture or appliances. She glanced over to see a two or three-year-old child sleeping soundly. She took one look and rushed to the bathroom, where green mold spots covered the tiles. She grabbed an unopened toothbrush, squeezed on toothpaste, and brushed her teeth, cupping water in her hands to rinse. Then she wiped the bathroom mirror. Staring back was a young, beautiful face—fair skin with a pinkish hue, cheeks plump with collagen, large almond-shaped eyes, a high straight nose, crimson lips, and silky black hair. Even in the plainest clothes, she radiated youthful vitality. Shen Tan tugged at the corner of her mouth, forcing a bitter smile. She was the prettiest in her family, the second of three siblings. Every holiday, even relatives praised her looks, saying she was destined for great things. They all said being beautiful meant you could do whatever you wanted. But that wasn’t the case. "Sweetie, are you ready? Let’s go!" Shen’s mother stood at the door, holding Shen Tan’s backpack and a bag of clothes. Shen Tan followed her. They left the old apartment building, the summer sky just starting to lighten. As they walked to the bus stop, the shabby low-rise houses and faded signs reminded her: she was back. She’d returned to the past. "You’ll be a senior in high school soon. You have to study hard—you’re the most educated one in our family. Once you get into college, find a good husband, have a son, and life will have hope..." Shen Tan walked dazedly beside her mother, remembering that her eldest sister had dropped out after junior high to work, and she had a two or three-year-old younger brother. Her mother was only in her forties, but older-looking than women her age. Their family had run a seafood stall in the county market, self-employed. They weren’t rich, but they’d earned enough to buy an old apartment in the county town, thinking life would get better. Then her father had gotten a little money and become addicted to gambling, losing the seafood stall. Her eldest sister had gone to work in the south after junior high, sending money home so Shen Tan could attend high school. In such an impoverished family, her father still wanted a son to carry on the family line. They’d risked having an unplanned child and finally got their wish, giving birth to their youngest son, Shen Xiao. Shen’s mother bought bus tickets, and Shen Tan followed her onto the bus. The cabin was filled with a mishmash of odd smells: strong gasoline fumes, the scent of vegetables, people’s sweat, and cheap perfume from women—all blending together. Seeing Shen Tan’s pale face, her mother hurriedly handed her a tissue. "Sweetie, just bear with it." Taking the tissue, Shen Tan suddenly remembered how much she’d despised her family as a teenager. Her parents were useless, incompetent; the whole family lived off the money her eldest sister sent home. Every school year, they couldn’t even scrape together her tuition. In this environment, she’d grown increasingly resentful, nothing seeming right to her. She was so beautiful—why had fate given her such a family? From kindergarten, Shen Tan had been the center of attention. Her classmates all wanted to play with her. Until elementary school, when a jealous girl found out her family ran a seafood stall. In class, the girl had covered her nose, giving Shen Tan a disgusted look. "Ew, you smell like fish! Teacher, I want to change seats." The people who’d once crowded around her left one by one. Whenever she walked by, they’d cover their noses and mock her. Shen Tan had gone home and taken out her anger on her mother, who’d meekly washed her clothes over and over again, assuring her there was no smell. She’d spent her elementary school years being bullied. By junior high, she’d learned to protect herself. In high school in the city, she’d learned the importance of lies. To avoid being looked down on, she’d told people her father ran a business in the south and her mother was a full-time housewife who stayed with him. She’d never let her parents attend her parent-teacher conferences—it would have been too embarrassing, and her classmates would have laughed at her. At school, Shen Tan didn’t draw unnecessary attention to herself and didn’t make close friends. Others just assumed her family was moderately well-off and didn’t dig deeper. Amidst the bus noise, Shen’s mother looked at her daughter. Today, she was unusually quiet; from time to time, a flicker of emotion her mother couldn’t understand passed through her dark almond-shaped eyes. Shen’s mother was uneducated—she’d never even attended elementary school, could barely read. She’d married a man and knew only that no matter how hard life was, she had to keep going. But her second daughter was different. Shen Tan was exceptionally beautiful, and because of that, she was proud and arrogant, wanting the best of everything. The bus lurched to a stop. Shen’s mother pulled Shen Tan across the road, the summer sun beating down brightly overhead. "We just need to transfer once to get to your sister’s neighborhood. Bear with it—let’s save money and not take a taxi." Shen Tan remained silent. At the bus stop, her mother went to a convenience store and bought a bottle of mineral water—2 yuan, which she thought was expensive. She bought only one, handing it to Shen Tan. "I should have brought water from home. Everything costs money outside. Here, have a sip. The bus will be here soon." Looking at her mother’s ingratiating expression, Shen Tan took the bottle and drank. The cold water cooled her down, and she handed it back. "Mom, you have a sip too." Afraid Shen Tan would dislike it, her mother didn’t put her mouth to the bottle, pouring just a sip into her mouth before twisting the cap back on and putting it in her bag. After a while, the bus came. They got on, transferred once more, and finally arrived at the upscale residential complex where her eldest sister, Shen Ru, lived. The complex was newly built, each building unique and brand new. Luxury cars came and went through the gate. People like them stood out like sore thumbs. Shen’s mother immediately became nervous, stammering when the security guard questioned her, pulling out a note her daughter had written and showing it to him. Shen Tan took the note and calmly replied, "Apartment 1802, Building A. We’re here to visit a relative." The guard made a phone call to confirm before letting them in. Shen’s mother held Shen Tan’s hand tightly, staring around eagerly. The complex was nice, with good greenery, a man-made lake, and cobblestone paths—worlds apart from where they lived. Her mother squeezed her hand and murmured, "When will I get to live in a house like this? Sweetie, look how beautiful it is. Having money is great." Envy shone in her cloudy eyes. "With money, you can buy a house like this, live in a nice house, wear nice clothes. Look how happy your sister is." Shen Tan didn’t respond. She and her mother took the elevator to the 18th floor and knocked on her eldest sister’s door. The door opened after a long while. Shen Tan and her mother exchanged glances in the hallway until Shen Ru opened it. She was wearing a silk slip dress, had long curly hair, and heavy makeup. Seeing them, she rolled her eyes. Huffily, she sat down on the living room sofa, crossed her legs, revealing a glimpse of her fair thigh. She lit a cigarette, glanced sideways—oozing seduction from her eyebrows to the tips of her hair. A whiff of worldliness hit them. "What do you want so early in the morning?" Shen’s mother rubbed her hands together, smiling ingratiatingly. "RuRu, Xiao Tan is starting her senior year of high school soon. We’re still 5000 yuan short for her tuition. Can you spare some more money?" Shen Ru immediately refused, blowing a smoke ring and stubbing out the cigarette in the ashtray. She looked Shen Tan up and down. To be fair, Shen Tan was much prettier—taller, fairer-skinned, even beautiful in plain, simple clothes. But she resented it. Why should she work herself to the bone outside only to give money to those bloodsuckers at home? What infuriated her most was that Shen Tan looked down on her for being an escort. "No," Shen Ru turned away, rolling her eyes. "Didn’t I already send you money for living expenses? Stop asking me for money!" Shen’s mother smiled awkwardly. "It’s just that we need to buy formula for Xiao Xiao. Everything at home costs money. I’ve been very thrifty. Your sister needs to go to school, RuRu—please help your mother out. Tuition is 1200 yuan per semester, 2400 yuan for two semesters, plus 360 yuan per semester for boarding, and her meal expenses. It’s not that much." "No!" Shen Ru screamed. "Why should I pay for her education? What gives her the right? I can sell my body, so can she!" She glared at Shen Tan venomously. "You said my money is dirty. If you have any pride, don’t come begging me for it!" "Don’t be like this, RuRu. Your sister said that out of anger. Look how well you’re doing now..." Shen’s mother mumbled, trying to soothe her. Standing in the nicely decorated apartment, Shen Tan felt her head spinning. Author’s Note: Nannan is a term of endearment for girls in dialects such as Wu and Cantonese, similar to "sweetie" or "darling." The tuition fees and prices mentioned in the text are based on Shanghai’s levels around 2010-2011. I’m not familiar with other cities. P.S.: The setting is fictional, and some backgrounds are invented.