The irony of young men
The reader is treated with a rude shock that most young men in the Potong Pasir village are attracted to women old enough to be their mothers. For instance, Robina is seeking investigative services to track down her cheating husband. She argues that she does not understand why her husband is looking for older women while she is not even reached thirty years! Cha-li responds that it should be vice versa and not the other way round. Astonishingly, Robert is abandoning his beautiful young wife for an older woman. During her conversation with Cha-li, Robina asks, “Why else would a young man desert his young wife for a woman old enough to be his mother? Look at me. I am not yet thirty!”
The Irony of Rose
Cha-lie is surprised to discover that Rose is still alive. Cha-li had been carrying out a private investigation to uncover the woman who has been cheating Robert Lee. Ironically, Cha-li finds that that woman in question Rose her childhood friend. From her earlier sources, Cha-li knew that Rose is no longer alive. While they were young living in the same neighborhood, Cha-li was spoilt with goods, but Rose was an ironically unwanted child who was beaten and punished for no good reason. The author writes, "They had grown up together, she and Rose, in Lord Sun Wukong’s temple in Potong Pasir village. She was the medium's adopted daughter, while Rose was the unwanted mewling waif fished out of the temple's bucket latrine. Throughout their childhood, Rose was caned often, while she, Cha-li, was spoiled rotten by Kai-ma, her adoptive mother, and Kai-yeh, her adoptive father who channeled the spirit of Lord Sun Wukong, the Monkey King.”
The irony of dying Kai-yeh
Ironically, Rose becomes important to Kai-yeh when he is about to die in a hospital bed. When trying to converse with Cha-li, the only thing he could say is Rose. The reader finds this satirical because the older man wants to show Rose love now at his dying moments. While conversing with Cha-li, Kai-yeh wants to see Rose. Cha-li struggles to find Rose, and at last, he manages to find. To Cha-li’s surprise, Rose does not want to hear anything about the dying Kai-yeh. When Cha-li tells her that the adopted father is dying, Rose replies, ‘Goo., May he rot in hell!” These are rude words for a person who once gave you a roof over your and raised you under whatever circumstances. When Cha-li tries to remind Rose of how the dying Kai-yeh once gave her accommodation, Rose replies, “Keep your holy shit, Cha-li. You're blind and a fool. He gave me more than that. Come.”
The Irony of prostitution
Cha-li later found Rose and discovered that she is in the prostitution business. Initially, Cha-li had thought that Rose is having a secretive affair with Robert Lee. Cha-li had been investigating Rose and Robert for a while to file a report for her client, Robina. The environment under which Rose was operating was more of a brothel where young Chinese girls engage in prostitution for a small fee. Rose's primary duty was to source the girls, and Robert's assignment was to look for rich Indian guys who wanted to have sex with these girls at a fee. Ironically, Rose is not scared of her business, and she argues that it is not a crime. She asks Cha-li to report her to the police if she so wishes. Rose tells Cha-li, "Report it to the police if you want. I do not care what you do." This satire depicts the level of frustration that had gone through in her life.
The Irony of Potong Women
Most women in the village of Potong believe that they have been bewitched when their husbands go out of wedlock. It is satirical that no single woman is trying to do a self-examination to understand why the men are going out. They believe that older women are using black art to lure their husbands. However, reality is different because most young women are not reciprocating their love. For instance, Robina insists that her husband is cheating on her, and the best she can do is to employ a private investigator to tail her husband. The reader expects Robina to take the matter and discuss with her husband to understand where the problem is.
