Eat a Bowl of Tea

Eat a Bowl of Tea (1961) is the only novel by Louis Chu, a Chinese American immigrant who was active in New York’s Chinatown community in the mid-20th century. The novel follows two Chinese immigrants, Wah Gay and Lee Gong, as they navigate the engagement and marriage of their children. When Wah Gay’s son Ben Loy is revealed to be impotent, his new wife, Mei Oi, the daughter of Lee Gong, has an affair, sending shockwaves through the community. Important themes in the novel include The Closeness of the Chinatown Community, The Value of Tradition, and Misogyny in Male-Dominated Societies. Although the novel was not a commercial success in Chu’s lifetime, it received critical appreciation in the late 20th century and is now considered a classic of Chinese American literature.

This summary is based on the University of Washington Press 2020 e-book edition.

Content Warning: The novel contains depictions of sexual assault and intimate partner violence, as well as anti-Chinese racism.

Plot Summary

Ben Loy is sleeping next to his new wife, Mei Oi, when a sex worker knocks on the door. He sends her away. The narrative turns back in time to focus on the couple’s fathers, Wah Gay and Lee Gong. Wah Gay receives a letter from his wife, Lau Shee, asking him to send Ben Loy home to find a wife. Lee Gong’s wife has similarly begged him to find a husband for their daughter Mei Oi. Lee Gong visits Ben Loy at the restaurant where he works and decides that he would be a good match for Mei Oi. Wah Gay agrees to send Ben Loy to Sun Wei to meet Mei Oi. Flashbacks reveal that, as a young man, Ben Loy frequently visited sex workers in New York City. Ben Loy initially resists his father’s suggestion of marriage but agrees when he learns he will be able to bring his wife home. Wah Gay secretly hopes the new bride will stay in China to take care of his wife, her new mother-in-law.

In China, Ben Loy meets and immediately falls for Mei Oi. The couple is married in a ceremony merging modern and traditional practices. Mei Oi struggles to feel at home in New York, especially when Ben Loy stops having sex with her. The fathers host an elaborate wedding banquet involving the entire community. That night, Ben Loy is unable to have sex with Mei Oi, devastating them both. Ben Loy faces pressure from his wife and father to produce a child. A doctor advises him to go on vacation, and the couple successfully have sex in Washington, DC. On returning to New York, Ben Loy is again impotent and is prescribed medication for a sexually transmitted infection. When the medication doesn’t work, he tries a tea recommended by an herbalist, which also doesn’t work.

While home alone, Mei Oi is raped by Ah Song, a regular at the Money Come club. Gossip spreads about Ben Loy’s impotence and history of sexually transmitted infections. After their first encounter, Mei Oi and Ah Song begin an affair. Soon after, she becomes pregnant. Ben Loy responds coldly, but her new family rallies around Mei Oi, and she starts to like being pregnant. However, gossip begins to spread about her relationship with Ah Song and the paternity of her baby. Mei Oi grows to appreciate Ah Song’s attention and struggles to keep her affair a secret. Ben Loy’s surprise turns to suspicion.

News of the affair reaches Lee Gong, who confronts Mei Oi about the affair. She denies the accusations. Lee Gong then writes a letter to Ah Song, threatening violence if the affair continues. Wah Gay is summoned by the head of the Wang family to discuss the rumors. Wah Gay confronts his son, who denies it and storms out. At home, Ben Loy confronts Mei Oi and then beats her violently. The head of the Wang family arranges for Ben Loy and Mei Oi to move to Stanton to wait out the scandal. Ben Loy’s old roommate, Chin Yeun, visits the couple’s new apartment, reigniting his crush on Mei Oi. When the wife of a Wang cousin in Connecticut alludes to rumors of Mei Oi’s infidelity, she asks to move back to New York.

Wah Gay and Lee Gong struggle to cope with the shame of the rumors about their children’s marriage. Wah Gay attacks Ah Song as he is leaving the couple’s apartment in the middle of the night. Fearing arrest or retribution, Wah Gay spends the night with an old friend in Newark. His cousin Wang Chuck Ting organizes his defense along with the Ping On Tong, a community organization to which both men belong. Wah Gay calls Lee Gong from Newark to ask him to run the club while he remains in hiding.

News of the attack and gossip about Mei Oi spreads across Chinatown, disturbing Ben Loy, who imagines the city is turning against him. He confronts Mei Oi, who begs for forgiveness. Wah Gay, still in hiding in Newark, refuses to turn himself in despite Chuck Ting’s urging. Officials from the Ping On Tong pressure Ah Song to drop the charges. The Wang Association and the Ping On Tong give Wah Gay their full support, and the Tong votes to banish Ah Song from New York City. Ah Song drops the charges, but Wah Gay and Lee Gong are both too ashamed to remain in Chinatown. Wah Gay moves to Chicago, while Lee Gong moves to Sacramento. Ben Loy quits his job in shame. Chin Yeun visits the couple and attempts to flirt with Mei Oi, but she maintains appropriate boundaries. A few days later, Ben Loy announces that the couple is moving to San Francisco.

In San Francisco, the couple reconciles, and Mei Oi gives birth to a baby named Kuo Ming. Ben Loy visits an herbalist, who prescribes a bitter black tea for his impotence. After several months, it begins to work, and Ben Loy and Mei Oi resume their sexual relationship. They resolve to reunite their fathers for Kuo Ming’s first birthday.