Who is May-mai from Tai-Pan and what is their importance?

May-may is the Chinese mistress of Dirk. According to custom, he purchased her. She lives in Macao with their two children until a price is put on their heads, at which time Dirk has her and the children picked up by the Silver Cloud. She is aboard the ship near Whampoa when the war with China is taking place. May-may is a good source of information for Dirk but never tells him that she is Jin-qua's granddaughter. She is loyal to Dirk and helps him hide and receive the bullion shipment. She also helps in the fight against Brock when he tried to sink their ship. She moves into Dirk's house in Happy Valley when it is built. She has dreams of marrying Dirk. May-may contracts malaria during the epidemic and is moved to Macao by Dirk, who is trying to find cinchona bark for her treatment. May-may loses the baby she is carrying while she is sick with malaria. May-may is cured by the cinchona tea and Dirk asks her to marry him when they sail for England in several months. Dirk never finds out that it was May-may who arranged for the killing of Gorth. She, along with the Tai-pan, dies in the typhoon.