The People’s Republic of Desire

58 Reimbursements

My close friends seldom call me before eleven in the morning. They know that I am a night owl and keep late hours as a journalist and a writer. But one rainy morning as I am sleeping deeply beneath my down quilt, Beibei wakes me up with a phone call. It is not even nine o'clock.

Beibei says, "Tomorrow is the deadline for me to turn in my receipts from last month. I haven't spent enough on T amp; E. Now, I need ten-thousand yuan worth of receipts!"

I rub my sleepy eyes in a daze without the full understanding of Beibei's urgency, I tell her, "Remember the hot-looking stranger I told you about? He came back to my dream again last night. This time he really liked me, and was just about to kiss me!"

Beibei says, "I'm sorry if I just destroyed the most romantic dream you've had in the last two weeks! But did you hear what I just said?"

"You need some receipts?" I mumble.

"Right!" Beibei quickly explains, "I need ten thousand yuan worth of receipts for reimbursement purposes. Can you help me find some? Only last month's receipts are good."

I tease, "Wow! Twelve hundred dollars! This is one of the benefits of the market economy with socialist characteristics that applies only to you. Unfortunately, I work for a capitalist company. I don't really save up receipts. I can't get reimbursement for anything, even my cell phone bills. Everything I pay for is out of my earnings."

Beibei says, "No, Niuniu, I don't think there is a difference between capitalism and socialism in terms of reimbursements. Think of Worldcom or Enron. In my opinion, reimbursements are to do with one's ranking in the company. For example, general managers and chief representatives of big foreign companies' Chinese offices can get all kinds of allowances and reimbursements."

I agree with Beibei. "I guess you're right. My position is not high up yet. That's why I don't have the power to get freebies."

"I remember five years ago, the former Beijing bureau chief of your news agency, a British man who went to school with CC, was reported, by his driver, for using the newspaper's money to pay for toilet paper at his home and the paintings in his wife's office!"

"If only one day I could become the bureau chief." I sigh.

"But I thought you'd save up receipts for tax purposes," says Beibei.

I sigh. "My income is too insignificant compared to yours. I don't really bother."

Beibei says, "Even if you don't save receipts, you should have some you haven't tossed, like taxi fares, minibus fares, meals, books, gasoline, or different kinds of entertainment expenses. Anything is good except for bus tickets. They cannot be reimbursed."

"It seems to me that your company discourages people from saving money on transportation," I say.

"The rule is the rule! Have you got some receipts for last month?" Beibei asks me.

"Let me check." I rummage through my purse and pockets and find some receipts. After counting, I tell Beibei, "I found receipts for some novels I just bought, but they are only for two hundred yuan. Chinese books are too inexpensive. Next time, if you'd tell me in advance, I'd buy some big pricey art books."

"Niuniu, are you still in bed? Please get up quickly!" Beibei demands.

"Why?"

"It seems to me that the only choice we have is to spend as much money as we can today."

"You want me to go with you to spend money so that you can get reimbursed the next day?" I ask.

Beibei says, "Of course, the best choice would be getting receipts for things I didn't pay for. It would be another source of income. If I can't get that, at least we can have fun and let Chichi Entertainment pay for it!"

"Beibei," I protest, "you sound so corrupt!"

"Not nearly as corrupt as those corrupt government officials!"

Huise shouru, or gray income, is popular in China. In Beibei's case, besides her salary, she gets reimbursed for gasoline, cell phone bills, meals, and gifts. This cash is considered her gray income. Even Lulu, whose pay is one-fourth of mine, can write off the cost of her clothes, her hairdo, her membership at the gym, etc. Plus, she gets boxes of free cosmetics, shampoos, and body massages every month from her magazine. She has told me that when the advertisers can't pay them money, they use their goods in exchange for advertising pages. As for CC, who works in a public relations firm, her cell phone, palm pilot, and the Omega watch are all from clients who give her such a big discount that the items become almost freebies. I'm the only one who works for a foreign company and lives on my salary and has no gray income.

One hour later.

Beibei and I meet in front of the spa. We go to the sauna and take a hot shower. Then, each of us gets a one-hour foot massage, a two-hour back massage, pedicures, manicures, and facials. Beibei and I have spent five hours in the spa. Next on the program is dinner.

"Let's go someplace expensive!" Beibei suggests.

"I'm not into shark fins or fancy nest soups," I say. "I feel this is already sad."

"Yes, I know, you're so Americanized that you've become an animal-rights activist," Beibei teases.

We choose to have a buffet at the revolving restaurant on the top floor of the International Hotel and then hang out at an Irish bar nearby for drinks.

By eleven o'clock Beibei has spent only 5000 RMB – about $600 – not nearly half her goal.

But her luck changes after I go to the lady's room where I find a handwritten ad on the wall: "Need receipts? I sell them cheaply. Page me at XXXX-XXXX."

I immediately inform Beibei. Beibei rushes into the bathroom, gets the number, and makes the call immediately.

When she comes back to join me, her face radiates joy. "Niuniu, you've helped me make five thousand yuan in three minutes!" Beibei says, hugging me.

"Still no guilty feelings about the easy money?" I ask Beibei.

"Not really. Everybody has to have some sort of gray income. At least, I pay for my own toilet paper."

HUISE SHOURU: Gray income; income other than one's salary, often cash under the table or reimbursements for expenses.