Wednesday, 19 October

Cold, 0°C

Chen Tan (陳檀) called in the afternoon. He has left Daisanyuan because of ill-health. He said that Ma Yuan(馬元) did not wish him to go especially now that Mrs. Ma now has to sell her laundry business which is making good money. I asked him about the laundry business in Paris as he had been in that business for quite a number of years before he became a chef. He said a laundry with modern American equipment would require a capital of about six million francs—for washing, drying, pressing, and folding. If situated in a workers’ district and charging a very low rate with a good collector and a truck, one can easily make four million francs’ business per month after six months to a year. The gross profit is about twenty per cent, i.e. 800,000 francs per month. Deducting tax etc, a net profit of half a million francs is almost sure. I told him to come and see me after his vacation to talk things over.

To the Embassy to see Guo Yupei (郭裕培) to help Chen Tan and others.

Told Zhongxiong of my intention to remain in Paris after the sale of my house and advised him to think carefully the future of the whole family.

[The following passages (two pages, 19-20 October 1955) of the diary are not available online.  They concern Kitty’s poor mental health.  Her raving and hallucinations are becoming more and more difficult for Fu to bear at this time. The hallucinations are fantastical beliefs about old women infiltrating through barred windows and many bizarre accusations about Fu’s conduct. By this time, Kitty was locking Fu up in his room at night.  Fu describes these incidents as if they are the scenes of a play with Acts, using English or French.]