China. Suifenhe. Russians

After lunch, we finally went shopping. Kalina was drawn to wander through multi-storey stores, and Tatyana wanted to go down to the subway, where all goods were cheaper and sellers were ready to bargain to the last. We decided to split up. Tatyana had already almost gone down to the subway, when she suddenly heard the screams of Kalina, who desperately called for her friend. Flying back up the stairs, she saw a friend who was trying to break out of the cordon. The beggars stretched out their hands to Kalina and, interfering with Russian words with Chinese, asked for something. Some offered their wares by holding them directly to the eyes of the stunned woman. One of the Chinese women drove Kalina's arm with a massager, the other offered to sell the bag, sew curtains, and at the same time treat her teeth. Tanya wedged herself into the crowd like an icebreaker. One of the Chinese, who barely reached the woman's waist, tried to say something, but stopped in mid-sentence, raising his eyes to Tatiana, who looked expressively at him. The crowd dispersed. Taking Kalina to the first cafe she came across, Tanya found out that it all started with the fact that Kalina was seized by the desire to give alms to a beggar. The poor man had neither arms nor legs. He sat near a large iron bowl and beat his head on the asphalt.

“Kalina,” Tanya said, looking seriously into her friend’s eyes, “it was your mistake!” Beggars are not served in this country. Pay attention, compatriots do not give them a penny. Do you think they are so cruel? No, that's not the point. I don't know about the rest of the beggars, but this man was a thief. His arms and legs were cut off. He served time in prison. And the state is not going to somehow support it. Seeing that you decided to share your money with a beggar, others who trade in a similar trade decided that they also deserve your attention.

Tan, I got it! - Kalina suddenly said absolutely calmly, - let's go, it's already evening soon, but we haven't bought anything yet!

Surprised by the sharp change in her friend's mood, Tanya wanted to say something, but changed her mind. We decided this: they walk around the subway for an hour, and then they stop their attention at one of the large stores.

Bags were filled with commendable speed. We returned to the hotel three times. We unloaded the goods and went shopping again. Evening came unnoticed. During the endless ups and downs in the elevator, Tanya learned all the ins and outs of the elevator operator Tonya, and Kalina just smiled and nodded.

Evening has come. There was still an hour left before dinner, and Kalina asked her friend to stop and admire the colorful action that unfolded in the square. On one half of the square, elderly women and men in colorful costumes with fans performed exercises to national music. It was not entirely clear whether it was a dance or evening gymnastics, but everything looked very beautiful. On the other side of the square, on a concert stage, a young girl sang, young people were noisy and applauded around. The music thundered with such force that the voice of the Chinese woman could barely be heard. Couples were dancing in the middle of the square. The couples were of different ages. And the music was different: waltz, tango, foxtrot. And all this at the same time. The noise was unbelievable. There were many children who scurried between dancing adults, Tanya smiled at mothers with babies, they smiled back and proudly raised the children above their heads. Kalina is tired of photographing Tatyana hugging the Chinese and their children. Suddenly Kalina saw a beauty in a mink coat. At this time, Tatyana told an elderly Chinese woman and onlookers crowded around that she had three nephews in Vladivostok. Kalina rushed after the beauty, but, looking back at the sea of people swaying around, got scared, and ran back to Tatyana. Only a few seconds passed, but the moment was lost.

- Let's go, Tanya, - Kalina pulled her friend, - we will catch up with her!

“Kalinusha,” Tanya said complacently, unhooking her friend’s hand, “Sunka, of course, is a small town, but there are about sixty hotels and twice as many cafes and restaurants. Speaking of restaurants,” she said, “it’s time for you and me to have dinner.” Wait, I'll show those who wish a photo of my nephews and let's go!

The path to the restaurant seemed very long for Kalina, they were followed by a large company of sociable Chinese, who suddenly kindled with friendly feelings for the hero with a blond braid. However, near the restaurant "Maxim" the company dispersed. It was one of the restaurants where the Chinese were not allowed. Dinner passed very quickly. Shops were open until 11 pm and, having had a quick dinner, the tourists fled to their own business.

The night for Kalina dragged on endlessly. Despite her fatigue and strained legs, she could not sleep. Compatriots did not want to calm down. Someone shouted, someone cursed, then the clarification began, who respects whom, and the action ended with the choral singing of Russian folk songs. And all this under the windows of the hotel. As if Kalina spent the night not in a Chinese hotel, but in a village where young people, returning from dancing in a club, vigorously discussed the events of the past evening. They finished yelling and sorting things out by about three o'clock in the morning. Kalina had just begun to fall asleep when someone knockedin the door. To the reasonable question of Kalina, who was there, there was silence behind the door, and then a timid girlish voice in broken Russian answered that it was a kunya - "b ...".

Pushing Tatyana aside, Kalina wanted to go and open the door, but she didn’t dare when she suddenly heard a friendly male neighing in the corridor. Hastily dressing, Tatyana went out into the corridor and found out from the peasants, who had calmed down in an instant, that this was their prank. The peasants decided to joke and ordered a Chinese girl of easy virtue in the next room. The heroine of the story turned out to be small, frail, slightly pockmarked, with bleached, or red, or piebald hair, and in men's underpants. The girl stood and shook, and Kalina wanted to come up and shake one of the peasants. Kalina had a desire, and Tatyana fulfilled it, but in her own way. Seeing that the men, having laughed, were about to return to the room, she grabbed the nearest of them by the scruff of the neck and said:

- Where? And who will pay?

- For what? - the man was surprised, - we were just joking!

- For that! You have to pay for jokes!

Shaking off Tatyana's hand, the man tried to sneak into the room, but it was not there, hastily orienting herself, the woman shouted in a bad voice:

- Good people, help! Yes, what is being done? Insulted, compromised! Help, good people!

Kunya, who was on duty on the floor, heard Tanya's familiar voice, cringed and hid behind the counter. The same one, who called herself a kunya "b ...", only stood and blinked her eyes. The men hid behind the door, and Tanya continued to shout:

- Are the men in the world gone? A poor, lonely, weak woman has been insulted, and no one will stand up and protect her! Good people, what's going on?

The doors of the rooms slammed, displeased voices were heard, disheveled heads began to peep out of the doors.

“Pasha,” a woman suddenly shouted, “wake up the children, pack your things, we’re on fire!”

A male voice murmured to her in response, but the woman did not calm down:

— You only would on lateral! How can we not burn if a woman screamed? I heard!

There was a fuss in neighboring rooms. Finally, a man came out of the room where the pranksters lived. Glancing displeasedly at Tanya, he went up to the frail Chinese girl, thrust a few yuan into her hand and pushed her towards the exit.

But it was not there. Tanya was not happy with this outcome. Stepping in the way of the Chinese woman, she said loudly and distinctly to the man:

— Sorry!

- In front of whom? he was surprised.

- In front of her! The girl, as she can, earns a living, and you're kidding!

“Yes, are you completely crazy?” I will apologize to the Chinese!

“Do you know how hard life is for girls in this country?” Or maybe she is the second or third child in the family? She doesn't have a passport. It doesn't officially exist for anyone! She was hidden in sheds all her life so that the authorities would not see her, and when she grew up, her parents got rid of her by floating her here, to Sunka!

Kalina buried her head in the blanket so as not to hear the thunderous voice of her friend. And she continued her speech, gleaned from long conversations with elevator attendants, salespeople, servants.

“Well, how can a poor girl get a job, here in Sunka?” No education, no passport? And you were going to mock her? Sorry, otherwise I'll tell everyone! Good people,” raising her voice a little, she turned to the assembled half-asleep people, “this man ...

"Okay," the man agreed, fearfully. - I'm sorry! And I won't do it again!

- You understood? - Tanya affectionately turned to the girl, - he apologizes! You didn't make out anything, poor thing! Hey, kunya, - she turned to the duty officer, - don’t hide, you can still see! Translate for her and tell her that if anyone else tries to play a joke on her like that, let her turn to me! Understood? And why are you crowded, - the troublemaker turned to her neighbors on the floor, - go to sleep! Well, the girl mixed up the number, with whom it does not happen! Young at all and does not know the Russian language! Go, go to sleep!

Half an hour later Tatyana was already asleep. It was five o'clock in the morning. The walls trembled from the heroic snoring of the woman, and Kalina lay and cried into her pillow, afraid to wake her friend. But by six o'clock in the morning she fell asleep too. Girlfriends slept and did not hear how early in the morning the men from the next room quietly talked with the kunya and moved to a room on another floor.
Полный текст тут http://proza.ru/2014/07/25/683