Mrs Spring Fragrance

In this sequel to “The Story of One White Woman Who Married a Chinese,” Minnie reflects on her marriage with Liu Kanghi after his death. What she values most in her husband is how she felt free to talk to him about anything that came to mind. Unlike James, he never made her feel as if her thoughts were stupid or inadequate. She says that Liu Kanghi is the kind of man “that children, birds, animals, and some women love” (76).

Not only is Liu Kanghi thoughtful toward his wife, but he keeps the promise he made in the previous story to treat Minnie’s child as his own. At one point, he allows a rat trap to snap him to save his adopted daughter, as she had innocently picked up the dangerous trap.

Minnie is careful not to make Liu Kanghi seem perfect. She also talks about his faults, but in an endearing way, rather than in a resentful way:

He had his littlenesses as well as his bignesses, had Liu Kanghi. For instance, he thought he knew better about what was good for my health and other things, purely personal, than I did myself, and if my ideas opposed or did not tally with his, he would very vigorously denounce what he called ‘the foolishness of women’ (77).