An important decision May Ying made was to stay behind in Canada when her husband, Chan Sam, returned to China. In fact, part of the reason Chan Sam wanted to return was to father a son with his Chinese wife, Huangbo, before she became too old to bear children. As May Ying was not able to provide Chan Sam with the necessary male heir, Chan Sam increasingly looked to Huangbo to do so.
As his concubine, May Ying had long tired of Chan Sam's austere and authoritarian ways. So, she encouraged Chan Sam to return to China in order to preserve some semblance of her independence. May Ying wanted some respite from Chan Sam's domineering presence for as long as it was feasible. Did she have a choice in her decision to stay in Canada? It would appear so. A concubine was understood to be under the authority of the legal wife; if May Ying had returned, she would have had to cater to both Huangbo and Chan Sam's desires.
So, to sweeten the deal for Chan Sam, May Ying sought an advance on her wages to finance Chan Sam's trip back to China. She also agreed to continue sending money to help Chan Sam and Huangbo build a family home upon Chan Sam's return to China. For his part, Chan Sam was buoyed by the idea that he would increase in status and significance in his village, Chang Gar Bin, as his house took shape before his eyes.
Meanwhile, May Ying appeared to be highly pleased with her choice to stay in Canada. She had Hing, her daughter, to keep her company. Finally free from restraint, May Ying gave herself over to a life of gambling and debt to finance her new lifestyle. She took Hing with her on trips to Vancouver and Victoria, and she frequented the gambling dens in Chinatown. When she fell short of the funds to send to Chan Sam, May Ying resorted to prostitution to make ends meet. Despite her difficult situation, May Ying treasured her freedom so much that she was willing to do everything possible to keep Chan Sam in China, for as long as she could. One indication that she was pleased with her choice to stay in Canada can be seen in her conversation with her waitress friends.
When her friends expressed concern for the fact that Chan Sam kept asking for money to finance the building of a grand family home in China, May Ying responded:
"Naturally, I'll send him what he's asking for. I'll borrow. Anything to keep him in the village and out of my way," she said to nods of encouragement...To May Ying, what Chan Sam was asking for was the price of postponing the day of his return, which she was willing to pay...For May Ying, gambling and men were the answer to extending the freedom from his presence.
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