Questionable Fact: Fu Ping's First Babysitting Job in America

The Original Story:
On Page 54 of Bend, Not Break, Fu Ping told the story of her first paying (illegal) job in US as a newly arrived foreign student:

The gregarious sisters and I communicated through facial expressions and full-body gestures, like a game of charades. They knew I was desperate for money, so they connected me with one of their professors, an Iranian man who had recently divorced and was in need of a babysitter. I couldn't speak English, didn't understand American culture, couldn't drive, and had never written a check. But there was one thing I knew how to do. 

The very next day, I started my new job. As I walked into the professor's apartment, I saw dishes piled up in the kitchen sink, heaps of dirty laundry, and toys strewn across the floor. I cleaned the house thoroughly and played with the professor's five-year-old daughter for seven hours. When the professor returned home, he asked me how much I wanted to be paid. I hadn't yet figured out the American system of prices and payments, so I just shook my head. He handed me a one-dollar bill. It didn't seem like enough.

The sisters, Fu Ping's roommates, eventually forced the professor to pay the fairer price of ten dollars an hour.

The Earlier Story:
The same story was also told in Drifting Bottle, Fu Ping's earlier autobiography, on Pages 9-10:

At 1pm, Professor Peter brought his little daughter Lisa to where I lived. Lisa was not afraid of strangers at all. She said goodbye to her dad and ran over to me immediately. She was only 2 years old, with big blue eyes like the ocean and golden curled hairs. Her fat little hands were all over my body. She captured my heart at once. What a lovely girl! I offered her chocolates I had brought from China and provided her many toys. We both had a great time. 

9pm, the professor arrived to pick up Lisa. He asked me how much I wanted to be paid. I said, "Whatever you wish to pay is fine." He took out a one-dollar bill from his wallet and gave it to me. 

下午一点，教授彼得带着他的宝贝女儿莉莎来到我住的地方，莉莎一点也不认生，乖乖地和她爸爸说声再见就跑来拉我的衣角。莉莎才两岁，大大的眼睛像海水一样蓝，满头金黄色的卷发，那胖胖的小手一直在我身上抓来抓去，一下子就把我的心俘虏了，好可爱的小女孩！我把国内带来的巧克力拿给她吃，为她准备许多玩具，她和我玩得很开心。 

晚上九点，教授来接莉莎。他问我要付多少钱。我说，“随便吧，你爱付多少都可以。”他从钱包里拿出一美元给我。

In this version of the story, Fu Ping's roommates, although shocked and angry, did not confront the professor for her pay. Fu Ping felt powerless since she was working illegally.

The Debunking:
Other than the professor and the one-dollar payment, the two versions of the same story differ quite a bit in details. Most significantly, it happened at different locations: the professors apartment vs. Fu Ping's own, which led to the additional work of house-cleaning in the new version. The age of the child changed and lost her original loveliness.

Although memories fade over time, it's hard to think that she would confuse such important details of a story that had a big impact of her life, especially that she had written it in her book.

In both versions of the story, the professor taught classes for one of her roommates and therefore is at least an acquaintance if not friend. It is incredible that the professor, being Iranian not withstanding, would try to cheat a new immigrant student this way. It would have been reasonable for her roommates, knowing full well of her situation, to have helped her negotiate the payment before the work.