“Look, cuntwaffle—” Phee had much too broad vocabulary.

As Ms Shafak summarises, “the state is privileged, all-powerful and yet paradoxically safeguarded as if it were a fragile entity in need of protection.” Between it and its citizens a gulf looms; conversely, officials elide its interests with their own.

When ponds are cleaned out periodically, fish are trapped or dragnetted and finally the pond is drained to remove all fish.

Hsi-men Ch'ing was drinking wine with Li P'ing-erh in her bedroom when he suddenly heard the sound of someone playing the p'i-p'a in a nearby dwelling. Who's playing the p'i-p'a? he asked. It's the sound of the Fifth Lady, over there, playing her p'i-p'a, replied Ying-ch'un.