The Last Rose of Shanghai

With no money, Aiyi goes to Emily’s apartment in the French Concession. However, that neighborhood too has been ceded to the Japanese, and Emily’s apartment is locked. Aiyi then goes to Peiyu, who is living in a single room without plumbing or electricity, off a fetid alleyway. Peiyu allows Aiyi to stay because she has jewelry to sell. The following morning, Peiyu takes her children and leaves for her parents’ house in the country. Back in the room, Aiyi reflects that she has “never been truly alone in [her] life” and has no idea what to do (336), except that she must leave the horrible room. She hears a sound and realizes that Peiyu’s youngest daughter, Little Star, has been left behind, whether by accident or design. Aiyi knows that unwanted girls in Shanghai face terrible fates, but she decides that Little Star is not her responsibility and gets ready to leave.

In the designated area, Ernest must get permission from a Jew colluding with the Japanese to do anything, including sell his watch and buy food. With the money from his Rolex, he rents a cot in a shack owned by an elderly Chinese man, Old Liang.