Lai

**Lai** is a young girl from Yumingzui in the Shandong province who is taken in by Ah Toy and assists her on her missions to avenge the wronged. Much like Ah Toy, Lai is skilled with the dao. However, after realizing that Lai could have a better life with Nellie, Ah Toy sent her to stay at the vineyard in Sonoma.

## Biography

### Early life

Lai grew up in the Shandong province with her father, who sold her to slavers to settle a debt.

## Biography

### Recruited by Ah Toy

Lai is placed up for purchase at a slave auction after being sold to a whore monger by her own father to settle a debt. There, she is purchased by Ah Toy. She doesn't talk much and has never been touched, and so she was double the price, though that doesn't deter Ah Toy, who brings the girl home and runs her a bath, assuring her that she'll be safe.

Rather than employing Lai as one of her working girls at the brothel, she works as a maid instead, though this doesn't stop Gresham from pawning Lai off to an older white man named Mr. Holbrook. Fortunately, Ah Toy intervenes. She pulls out a knife, cuts his face, and sends him running.

While cleaning Ah Toy's room, Lai discovers her sword, with which she shows remarkable skill, much to Ah Toy's surprise.

### Nursing Ah Sahm

Lai accompanies Ah Toy to the duel between Ah Sahm and Li Yong to determine if the Long Zii will be allowed to distribute molasses independently. After Ah Sahm loses the fight and is essentially abandoned by the Hop Wei, Lai and Ah Toy bring him home, clean his wounds, and force his shoulder back into place.

Lai continues to practice her swordsmanship under Ah Toy's watchful eye and guidance.

### Killing the Teddy Boys

Lai joins Ah Toy and Ah Sahm on their mission to eliminate the Teddy Boys — a rouge gang of Irish men who cut the queues off Chinese men and wear them on their jackets as souvenirs. With both Lai and Ah Toy armed with daos, they strike fast and hard, killing every Teddy Boy in sight until none remain.

Ah Toy and Lai take a trip out to Nellie's vineyard in Sonoma, where they are given a tour of the vineyard. Most of the girls on Nellie's vineyard are recuses who were kept in atrocious conditions, some even in cages. They were beaten, raped, and starved for months, which is why Nellie helps them in any way possible.

### Staying at Nellie's vineyard

Lai and Ah Toy make their move against a rival brothel, which keeps the girls in horrible conditions and treats them terribly. They slaughter the enslavers, slashing and dashing through the entire brothel until not a single man is left standing, except for one, who Lai tortures and gives a slow, painful death, knocking his teeth out, stabbing him with a pole multiple times, and then ramming her sword through his head. However, having seen the sadistic nature in which Lai killed the man, Ah Toy decides that it would be best if Lai stayed with Nellie and the other rescues at the vineyard. All the killing would stop, and she could build a better life, but Lai wants to leave with Ah Toy, who forces her out of the carriage and threatens to turn her into a whore if she returns to the brothel. Lai begins crying and attacks Ah Toy, who hugs her close before leaving her behind.

## Significant kills

* The Teddy Boys — Lai, Ah Toy, and Ah Sahm kill several members of this white gang after learning that they wore cut‐off queues on their jackets and that a Chinese scalp was part of initiation.
* Slavers — Lai and Ah Toy kill multiple sex slavers at a brothel that were forcing girls into prostitution.

## Skills and abilities

Similar to Ah Toy, Lai is skilled and adept at wielding a single-edged Chinese sword known as a dao. She joins Ah Toy on several of her missions and kills multiple slavers and thugs in the process with great precision.

## Appearances

* They Don't Pay Us Enough to Think
* Chinese Boxing
* If You're Going to Bow, Bow Low
* If You Don't See Blood, You Didn't Come to Play
* Not for a Drink, a F\*ck, or a G\*\*damn Prayer
* If You Wait by the River Long Enough

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Season 2, episode 7: ***If You Wait by the River Long Enough***
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Season 1, episode 7: ***The Tiger and the Fox***
3. ↑ Season 1, episode 8: ***They Don't Pay Us Enough to Think***
4. ↑ Season 1, episode 9: ***Chinese Boxing***
5. ↑ Season 1, episode 10: ***If You're Going to Bow, Bow Low***
6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Season 2, episode 1: ***Learn to Endure, or Hire a Bodyguard***
7. ↑ Season 2, episode 5: ***Not for a Drink, a F\*ck, or a G\*\*damn Prayer***