26Ping hardened her heart and forced herself to focus on her papers. It was November, the month of monsoon rains, and her year end ‘A’ Level exam. Chong Suk’s death had come right in the middle of several crucial ‘A’ Level papers, and a week of bad news. A column had collapsed in one of the Chang Brothers’ cinemas, which was still under construction. Two workers had been killed. Her uncle was the man in charge, so Ah-ku went on a temple campaign to enlist the help of all the gods in the heavens to dispel the cloud of bad luck that had descended on him. Her superstitious fears rose to fever pitch with each new report of ongoing investigations and an impending government inquiry, while Uncle Chang grew ever more morose and short-tempered. The lamps and candles on the altar in the dining room
