Chapter 48 Section Thirteen
Among the opium dens in Shanghai’s old streets, the ones near the farthest corners are always the busiest.It used to be the boundary of the Changsan Shuyu, and the hostesses set up cigarette beds on their own premises to receive the benefactors. Later, the Nanjing government asked the prostitution halls to be strictly inspected and controlled, and some private prostitutes gradually disappeared, leaving only a huge house. It has become an authentic opium hall.The house that Tang Hui frequented was the house left by a well-known nobleman. The walls were all rouge-colored, the cigarette bed was extremely dirty, and the ashes on the wooden windows were not even wiped.Sitting at the window, he felt that the dust was constantly drilling into his nostrils.
The reason why he is willing to stay in such a place for a long time is that firstly, he cannot get rid of his addiction, secondly, the family can still pay on credit after going for a long time, and thirdly, a guy named Zhang Chi has a very friendly attitude. Come up and talk a few words.I found out later that this Zhang Chi used to work in a noodle restaurant, but later he jumped over because he couldn't stand the high price offered by the owner of the smoke restaurant.Zhang Chi didn't have superhuman abilities, he only had a sharp tongue, no matter the status of the visitor, he always greeted him with a smile, so he was very welcome to see him.Another reason why Tang Hui likes him is that he never dislikes such a poor guest like him.
"Master Tang, do you have money on your body now? If not, it will be difficult for me to explain to the boss."
When Tang Hui came over these few days, Zhang Chi still dusted the bed for him attentively, but greeted him first.
"What are you afraid of? It's hard to explain, I'll explain it myself!" Tang Hui never dared to renege on his account, so he could only salivate, but his appearance was no different from that of a ghost.
"Hey..." Zhang Chi smiled and said, "Or...Young Master Tang, don't smoke here now?"
Tang Hui got annoyed now, grabbed Zhang Chi's chest, and cursed, "Little Chi, how dare you drive me away?"
"Don't dare, dare not!" Zhang Chi didn't change his face, and continued, "Actually, it's for the good of Young Master Tang, this thing can't be smoked much."
"I'm happy to smoke, why do you care so much?"
"Master Tang is willing to smoke, but is he willing to give money?"
As soon as the word "qian" was mentioned, Tang Hui's arrogance suddenly decreased by half. Although he was still cursing, he didn't dare to speak loudly.It's a pity that even so, the shopkeeper heard it. The other party waved his hand, rolled the abacus aside, and said loudly: "Xiao Zhang, take Yi out!"
"I'm not going out, I want to smoke this!" Tang Hui wiped his nose, and immediately began to play tricks.
So the wrinkles on Zhang Chi's kitsch smiling face deepened, and he hurriedly said, "Master Tang misunderstood, he didn't want to drive you out, but took you to another place to eat."
"Where? I'm not going!"
"Come with me, that one doesn't need money."
"Why don't you accept money? Is there such a good thing in the world?"
"Yes, there is another rule now, that is, every time a new opium is imported, a few regular customers should be asked to taste it. You know, now each batch of opium comes in through different channels, so you must try it before making it public. Sell. Young Master Tang usually takes care of him a lot, so it's our turn to take care of Young Master Tang, okay?"
Tang Hui was dubious, put on his coat, and followed Zhang Chi into a quiet room inside.The air there was obviously much more humid. Several rattan boxes were placed on a long table, all of which had been opened. Inside were densely packed and neatly filled with two rows of turquoise porcelain bottles, all of which were sealed with wax.As soon as he smelled the familiar fragrance from the bottle mouth, he was overjoyed, raised his head and said to Zhang Chi: "Xiao Zhang, it seems that Nong really takes care of me!"
"That's right, that's right..." Zhang Chi's smile was a little stiff, and he vaguely felt a halo on Tang Hui's body, but he couldn't tell where it came from.
"Quick! Go and get my bong!" Tang Hui's voice was anxious and joyful.
After getting the money, Du Chunxiao squatted by the Huangpu River to look at the dead bodies all day long. Sometimes he didn't see any of them for several days, and sometimes several of them drifted over in a day.But now besides Xia Bing, she has another companion to accompany her to see the dead body, and that person is Elie.While staring at the center of the lake, he kept nagging: "Miss Du, last week I investigated the murder of Young Master Shi Jia on a whim, and saw that the autopsy report stated that although Shi Changfeng was killed Dozens of axes were hacked, but the real fatal injury was a knife wound on the back, it can be seen that the murderer stabbed him from the back first, and then—" Just as he was talking, a pale and wrinkled floating corpse had already been salvaged from the river. Eliye hurriedly stepped forward to search it, as if he had an unusual obsession with death.The characteristics of these corpses are still the same, they are naked males with long and messy hair. But at present, it seems that the two of them waited for the "exotic goods", and there was a dead body with short hair floating past. As if he had found a treasure, Eliye squeezed to the front, standing in front of the patrol in charge of salvage and gesticulating.Because he was a foreigner, the policemen didn't dare to do anything immediately, so they had to swallow their breath and let him give orders, but no one could understand his half-baked Chinese, so they ignored him.Du Chunxiao lazily followed behind, with his arms around his arms, but what he was thinking about was the inquiring little four. "Look, this dead man is very special." Arieye put his fingers into the mouth of the dead man, regardless of the surrounding civilians, opened his mouth and looked carefully, and murmured while watching, "His teeth Looks like she's been to the dentist on a regular basis and has had her hair trimmed at least a month ago." Because of Eliye's astonishing behavior, there were constant booers and whisperers around him, and several police officers secretly rolled their eyes at him.But Du Chunxiao stood behind Eliye dumbfounded, his eyes were dark black like an abyss. "Don't look it up, I know who he is." Her sleepy tone seemed like a ghost from hell. Tang Hui... This strange man who makes all women fall in love at first sight, and then falls in love with her, from the moment he and her met, they already knew what kind of identities they should maintain the relationship with each other.He is honest, but he is somewhat secretive; he is affectionate, but it does not mean he is irresponsible. To many women, he is not even considered a good person, but he is so lovable.It was as if God had tied a knot in women's hearts. They thought they could forget him, but they would always miss him. The surroundings have turned into a cold night, cold and mournful.Du Chunxiao's heart was twisted like a knife.
Zhang Chi has a certain respect for opium. He took them to the limp regular customers, and saw that they were all sluggish and lazy, as if their bones had been pulled away, so he deeply understood that this is not a magic pill. , It was poison.And now when I walk home at night, I finally feel that the old street is very long, and there are ghosts wandering behind me, as if they want to ask him for justice. "Don't...don't look for me!" Zhang Chi plucked up his courage and shouted back. In fact, there was nothing behind him, only the cold wind howled, and the bluestone slabs on the ground were covered with snow-white frost, and each step made a footprint.Several wine shops and flower smoke rooms that were not yet closed were still lit with yellow lights, and the light was not too dim, but many shadows of him were cast for no reason, and it became more and more like a demon possessed, scaring him so much that he could barely lift his legs . "I'm so wronged..." what sound?A sullen moan swept past Zhang Chi's ears, his nerves tensed immediately, and the soft fox fur hat on his head could no longer block the chill from his heart. "Who? What?" He tried to convince himself that he just heard wrong, so he continued to walk forward with his head bowed.Unexpectedly, there was another series of mournful weeping sounds, circling in the wind, like an invisible hand, quietly grasping his heart.He stood there for a while, not daring to look back, so he closed his eyes and continued to move forward. "I died so unjustly..." He didn't dare to move forward again, because he felt that this time, the voice came from in front of him——no!That ghost should be standing right in front of him!He covered his eyes with both hands, fell to his knees with a plop, and his scalp was instantly icy cold.
"Forgive me! Forgive me!" He yelled like this, hoping that a passer-by would come over and pat him on the shoulder, saying that everything was just an illusion. "This guest, do you want to buy a human head?" The ghost's voice was sharp and thin, as if it was formed into a circle with a steel wire, and it was gently wrapped around Zhang Chi's neck, controlling everything, just waiting for the steel ring to be tightened. "I...I..." Zhang Chi shook his head desperately. In fact, he couldn't understand the ghost's weird question at all, so he could only refuse blindly. As for what he was rejecting, he himself didn't understand. "This guest, do you want to buy a human liver?" The ghost continued to ask. "I don't want it! I don't want anything!" Zhang Chi burst into tears suddenly. The ghost let out a shrill laugh: "This customer, do you want to buy two eyeballs?" "The injustice has its head, and the debt has its owner. I didn't harm you, I really didn't harm you!" Zhang Chi kowtowed desperately while crying.The more he knocked his head, the colder he became, making him believe that half of his foot had already stepped into the gate of hell. "Then tell me, who killed us?" The ghost's voice suddenly became intimate and familiar.Zhang Chi looked up, and saw the bespectacled young man who had talked to him about Gao Wen's murder before, and now he was wearing the fox fur cap that fell from his head, looking at him with a smile. "Oh!" Zhang Chi patted his heart and panted loudly, "Grandpa, you scared me to death!" "It's not because you're scared to death, it's because you're afraid that you'll hit the bluestone slab with your head and die, and turn into a ghost and ask us for your life." The female voice from behind Zhang Chi made his hair stand on end again, he hurriedly looked back, only to see Du Chunxiao looking at him with a smile. Zhang Chi stood up from the icy stone road, and a jade wrench rolled away from under his feet...
After getting the money, Du Chunxiao squatted by the Huangpu River to look at the dead bodies all day long. Sometimes he didn't see any of them for several days, and sometimes several of them drifted over in a day.But now besides Xia Bing, she has another companion to accompany her to see the dead body, and that person is Elie.While staring at the center of the lake, he kept nagging: "Miss Du, last week I investigated the murder of Young Master Shi Jia on a whim, and saw that the autopsy report stated that although Shi Changfeng was killed Dozens of axes were hacked, but the real fatal injury was a knife wound on the back, it can be seen that the murderer stabbed him from the back first, and then—" Just as he was talking, a pale and wrinkled floating corpse had already been salvaged from the river. Eliye hurriedly stepped forward to search it, as if he had an unusual obsession with death.The characteristics of these corpses are still the same, they are naked males with long and messy hair. But at present, it seems that the two of them waited for the "exotic goods", and there was a dead body with short hair floating past. As if he had found a treasure, Eliye squeezed to the front, standing in front of the patrol in charge of salvage and gesticulating.Because he was a foreigner, the policemen didn't dare to do anything immediately, so they had to swallow their breath and let him give orders, but no one could understand his half-baked Chinese, so they ignored him.Du Chunxiao lazily followed behind, with his arms around his arms, but what he was thinking about was the inquiring little four. "Look, this dead man is very special." Arieye put his fingers into the mouth of the dead man, regardless of the surrounding civilians, opened his mouth and looked carefully, and murmured while watching, "His teeth Looks like she's been to the dentist on a regular basis and has had her hair trimmed at least a month ago." Because of Eliye's astonishing behavior, there were constant booers and whisperers around him, and several police officers secretly rolled their eyes at him.But Du Chunxiao stood behind Eliye dumbfounded, his eyes were dark black like an abyss. "Don't look it up, I know who he is." Her sleepy tone seemed like a ghost from hell. Tang Hui... This strange man who makes all women fall in love at first sight, and then falls in love with her, from the moment he and her met, they already knew what kind of identities they should maintain the relationship with each other.He is honest, but he is somewhat secretive; he is affectionate, but it does not mean he is irresponsible. To many women, he is not even considered a good person, but he is so lovable.It was as if God had tied a knot in women's hearts. They thought they could forget him, but they would always miss him. The surroundings have turned into a cold night, cold and mournful.Du Chunxiao's heart was twisted like a knife.
Zhang Chi has a certain respect for opium. He took them to the limp regular customers, and saw that they were all sluggish and lazy, as if their bones had been pulled away, so he deeply understood that this is not a magic pill. , It was poison.And now when I walk home at night, I finally feel that the old street is very long, and there are ghosts wandering behind me, as if they want to ask him for justice. "Don't...don't look for me!" Zhang Chi plucked up his courage and shouted back. In fact, there was nothing behind him, only the cold wind howled, and the bluestone slabs on the ground were covered with snow-white frost, and each step made a footprint.Several wine shops and flower smoke rooms that were not yet closed were still lit with yellow lights, and the light was not too dim, but many shadows of him were cast for no reason, and it became more and more like a demon possessed, scaring him so much that he could barely lift his legs . "I'm so wronged..." what sound?A sullen moan swept past Zhang Chi's ears, his nerves tensed immediately, and the soft fox fur hat on his head could no longer block the chill from his heart. "Who? What?" He tried to convince himself that he just heard wrong, so he continued to walk forward with his head bowed.Unexpectedly, there was another series of mournful weeping sounds, circling in the wind, like an invisible hand, quietly grasping his heart.He stood there for a while, not daring to look back, so he closed his eyes and continued to move forward. "I died so unjustly..." He didn't dare to move forward again, because he felt that this time, the voice came from in front of him——no!That ghost should be standing right in front of him!He covered his eyes with both hands, fell to his knees with a plop, and his scalp was instantly icy cold.
"Forgive me! Forgive me!" He yelled like this, hoping that a passer-by would come over and pat him on the shoulder, saying that everything was just an illusion. "This guest, do you want to buy a human head?" The ghost's voice was sharp and thin, as if it was formed into a circle with a steel wire, and it was gently wrapped around Zhang Chi's neck, controlling everything, just waiting for the steel ring to be tightened. "I...I..." Zhang Chi shook his head desperately. In fact, he couldn't understand the ghost's weird question at all, so he could only refuse blindly. As for what he was rejecting, he himself didn't understand. "This guest, do you want to buy a human liver?" The ghost continued to ask. "I don't want it! I don't want anything!" Zhang Chi burst into tears suddenly. The ghost let out a shrill laugh: "This customer, do you want to buy two eyeballs?" "The injustice has its head, and the debt has its owner. I didn't harm you, I really didn't harm you!" Zhang Chi kowtowed desperately while crying.The more he knocked his head, the colder he became, making him believe that half of his foot had already stepped into the gate of hell. "Then tell me, who killed us?" The ghost's voice suddenly became intimate and familiar.Zhang Chi looked up, and saw the bespectacled young man who had talked to him about Gao Wen's murder before, and now he was wearing the fox fur cap that fell from his head, looking at him with a smile. "Oh!" Zhang Chi patted his heart and panted loudly, "Grandpa, you scared me to death!" "It's not because you're scared to death, it's because you're afraid that you'll hit the bluestone slab with your head and die, and turn into a ghost and ask us for your life." The female voice from behind Zhang Chi made his hair stand on end again, he hurriedly looked back, only to see Du Chunxiao looking at him with a smile. Zhang Chi stood up from the icy stone road, and a jade wrench rolled away from under his feet...