Revolution Is Not a Dinner Party Read Online Free

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    Being in the army must have given him lots of friends. The wooden door between our homes couldn’t block out the loud conversations he had with his many visitors. He told them about his life in the army and the important people who stood beside him in his photos. He bragged the most about a large picture hanging in the center, a place of honor.
    He had once proudly pointed it out to me and Mother. “This is Comrade Jiang Qing, the wife of our great leader, Chairman Mao.”

    In the picture, Comrade Li and five other men stood around a small woman. They were all dressed in Mao-style blue army uniforms and wore caps with short visors. The woman had her hair cut above her ears. Even from my side of the door, I saw her fierce eyes behind the glasses. They made me think about a hungry ghost in one of my books.
    Now Mother passed Comrade Li the other eggs and the green onions. “You haven’t had dinner yet?” Her voice had the same tone she used when scolding me, but she wore her smile for visitors.
    â€œNot yet, Dr. Xiong.” Everyone used Mother’s maiden name. I guess it would be too confusing to have two Dr. Changs in one family. “We had to get ready to arrest an undercover enemy.” He cocked his head like a proud rooster.
    â€œWhat’s an undercover enemy?” I asked.
    Mother pinched me on the back of the arm. Ow! Comrade Li glanced at Father, then leaned forward. His tiny eyes glared into mine. “Someone who seems to be nice but works to destroy our government,” he whispered.
    Why would anyone want to destroy our government?
I wished to ask what he would do after he arrested the enemy, but I didn’t want to risk getting another pinch.
    â€œDo you need anything else?” asked Mother, the smile on her face disappearing.
    Comrade Li stretched his head out again. Mother pulled me to the side. He glanced around, then fixed his eyes on our dinner table.
    â€œSome young revolutionaries are coming here tonight. They would enjoy the mangoes.” He pointed his chin toward the table and smiled, showing off his tobacco-stained buckteeth.
    Without a word, Mother went to the table and carried the plate over.
    I was too shocked to cry out. I loved mangoes! They were so expensive, and it had been a long time since we’d had them. If only Mother had hidden the mangoes, the way she hid the chocolate and coffee from him.
    Comrade Li took the plate from Mother and carried it to the table in the middle of his room. As he walked back to the little door, he pressed his hand to his scalp, flattening a few greasy hairs that stood up
on his monkey head. “Oh, come closer, Ling. There’s something in your ear.” He reached his arm out.
    I stepped forward and held my breath as his greasy sleeve passed by my cheek. He plucked something from behind my ear.
    â€œThis is for you!”
    He held a small red paper bag. My mouth fell open. This was the first time he had given me anything other than origami.
    Inside was a portrait of Chairman Mao on a palm-sized metal button. Chairman Mao wore the same blue army jacket as Comrade Li. I had never seen a button like this one.
    â€œThank you! Thank you!” I jumped up and down. It almost made up for losing dessert.
    Mother gave me a stern look.
    All summer the children in the courtyard were showing off their button collections. I couldn’t wait to trade this one for the ceramic button of Chairman Mao holding an umbrella. Maybe from now on, Comrade Li would always pay me with Mao’s buttons instead of origami.
    â€œIt’s a new release. The whole hospital got only
ten. Put it on your shirt.” Comrade Li stuck out his chest. He had the same button pinned on the right side of his shirt.
    â€œLing will put it on after her shower. Good-bye.” Mother took the button away from me. With one hand behind my neck, she firmly moved me away from him. I worried that Comrade Li could hear the upset in