Chapter 2 chapter 1

In the small living room upstairs in Wang's house, at this time, Zhu Yuqiong was playing mahjong as usual.Zhu Yuqiong was always very involved in playing cards, even Wang Mutian walked past her calmly, without moving her eyes.Wang Mutian suppressed the panting sound of running wildly in the middle of the night, and gently walked around to the balcony. There were a few large potted flowers on the balcony. Zhu Yuqiong cherished them for a while when they were delivered, and watched them every day, but after the excitement passed, they became mediocre. Now, due to few people taking care of them, the flowers and leaves are a little yellow and thin.Beside a large pot of rose flowers, Wang Mutian squatted down and dug carefully in the soil with the knife on his body.

Apart from myths and legends, the story of digging out gold from one's own flowerpot can probably only happen in the Wang family.Wang Mutian's father died for a year, and it's not good to catch up with the current time. The prominent Wang family is now in decline, and Zhu Yuqiong, a widow, has moved twice with Wang Mutian and Wang Duoying's children. , With a final slap on the head, he simply exchanged all his belongings for gold bars and buried them in the flowerpot soil, claiming that gold is born from the soil.Zhu Yuqiong felt watertight and didn't even tell her children about it, but Wang Mutian knew about this treasured place early in the morning.

But I know that Gui knows that he himself has never thought about gold bars. In his eyes, his mother's cautiousness in hiding gold is already vulgar. He has completely different pursuits, the same as his mother, his sister, and this lifeless big house Everyone in is different.This time, if Xiaosiyan said that the funds for the anti-Japanese activities were insufficient... Wang Mutian turned the knife lightly, the tip of the knife touched a hard object, and stopped. Through the floor-to-ceiling glass windows, Wang Mutian glanced at his mother and three female relatives alertly, and quickly dug out a hard object wrapped in rags.He stuffed it into the pocket of his trousers, and rubbed the dirt from his hands on his trouser legs, then got up, and planned to slip out of the living room with a relaxed posture.

Zhu Yuqiong was in a good mood after eating it, and finally caught a glimpse of Wang Mutian between the flying orchid fingers on the table. "Amu, have you called someone?" Wang Mutian obediently but perfunctorily greeted people. ①The dialect in some areas of the Yangtze River Delta means "aunt", and sometimes refers to female elders such as aunts and aunts next door. Mu Tian was in a hurry to leave, but his mother stopped him: "Are you smoking on the balcony just now?" Wang Mutian was frightened into a cold sweat when he heard the word "balcony", laughed after hearing it, rubbed his shoulders and beat his back flatteringly behind Zhu Yuqiong: "No... Mom, give me some money, I'll buy a bowl of chicken and duck blood soup, I'm hungry .”

Zhu Yuqiong raised her eyes and glanced at her son, then slowly took out the small purse, intentionally revealing the substantial contents inside under the eyes of the other three, "Amu likes you the most, in front of you, he can beat me Bare stick!" She slapped her son's hand lightly dotingly: "Is it?" Wang Mutian swiped the banknotes in his hand, turned around and ran out.He was used to this kind of showing off from his mother, and he also hated this kind of showing off from his mother, which made him unable to bear it for a second with a smile on his face. Seeing Wang Mutian run out, Mrs. Shen, Zhu Yuqiong's poker friend, half-truthfully envied: "If you have such a son, I will love you more than you!"

"Why do you spoil him?" Zhu Yuqiong curled her lips, "He has been sick since he was a child. Seeing that he is active now, he will get sick whenever he says he is sick, and it is terrifying to death!" "Yo, what's wrong?" Zhu Yuqiong pretended not to hear, got up and walked out of the living room, shouting for someone to pour tea, and a well-know poker player told Mrs. Shen, "Goat epilepsy! He looks like a beautiful boy, and he has grown up so well." Blank..." There was smooth piano sound in Wang Duoying's bedroom. Wang Mutian avoided Guan Ma and came to the door of the closed bedroom. He pulled out the skirt from his trousers again like a magic trick, took it off in a hurry, and took it out of his pocket. silk turban.Wang Mutian tiptoed to open the door, the sound of the piano poured out from the crack of the door like running water, he threw the wrinkled skirt and headscarf into the door, turned and went downstairs by himself.

Downstairs of Wang's mansion, several comrades who participated in the night "battle" were still waiting there.Wang Mutian appeared from the stairs, raised the gold bar wrapped in rags in his hand, and said solemnly and proudly: "The funds are here." Economic status determines social status, Wang Mutian was immediately surrounded, and Xiao Zheng pushed his glasses excitedly: "Good job! I can buy more paper for writing slogans tomorrow! Which pawn shop is open at this hour?" Wang Mutian took a generous gesture: "If you have money, we can go to the French cemetery for a picnic and have a meeting while eating."

The proposal was immediately responded enthusiastically, and Wang Mutian enjoyed the moment when he was trusted and sought after. The piano sound upstairs stopped abruptly, the window opened, and Wang Duoying leaned out: "Amu, what the hell are you doing?" The boys turned to look at the girl, as light and white as porcelain. Eighteen-year-old Wang Duoying has silk-like natural curly hair like her younger brother. Her hair color is close to soft pine wood, and slightly yellow like a little foreigner. It also sets off the sharp jaw, big eyes, and crystal-clear skin on her cheeks. It's like almond tofu, which is about to break if you touch it with a finger.Miss Wang's family in the five streets and four alleys is a famous beauty, but in the aesthetic eyes of sixteen and seventeen-year-old boys, this kind of girl is too delicate and too fragile. During the vigorous anti-Japanese movement, a little girl like her Bourgeois young people have always been the target of their discrimination.

In order to show his position, Wang Mutian turned to his sister with an indifferent face: "What are you shouting for, I didn't do anything." "Then what are you doing stealing my skirt? Look at what it looks like." Wang Duoying raised the silk skirt in her hand, and in her angry voice, the boys scattered away. In the Shanghai Ballroom at night, Wang Mutian hurriedly shuttled among the dancing crowd. Perfume, opium smoke, human body sweat, and camphor gas from high-grade silk clothing all soaked in the hot room, mixing into a sticky smell that submerged Wang Mutian inside.In the shocking Western music, a dancer with his arms around his partner was blowing kisses towards the audience without shame. Wang Mutian turned his head away in disgust, for fear that the invisible blowing kiss would fall on him like snot.Protecting his bulging chest, he rubbed against the corner of the dance hall.

For some anti-Japanese activities, Wang Mutian felt that no one could be trusted, so he had to complete them by himself.He felt that only veterans of the Anti-Japanese War were qualified for those dangerous tasks, for example, this time. Wang Mutian quietly stretched out his hand to the switch switch in the corner under the feasting light. The lights in the hall suddenly went out, and the music suddenly stopped for a short period of silence. Wang Mutian pulled out the leaflet he was covering his chest, and threw it into the sky with a "crash". Men and women screamed in the darkness.Wang Mutian shouted with excitement and real anger: "Shameless subjugated slaves, you still have the heart to dance!"

He dropped this sentence, took advantage of the confusion and turned around to escape. When he stumbled through the chaotic crowd and rushed to the door, his arms were clamped. The lights in the room were quickly turned on again, Wang Mutian turned his head and saw that it was a strange man who grabbed him, he struggled, the man didn't even bother to make a contemptuous expression, and twisted his arm behind his back.The severe pain of pinching made Wang Mutian's mind roar, he thought he messed up this time, this man is a plainclothes. At that time, plainclothes were everywhere in Shanghai. Everyone in the entire ballroom was in chaos, so the little disturbance at the door did not attract too much attention.The plainclothes twisted Wang Mutian's arm and dragged him out of the door.Wang Mutian was dragged with fists and kicks. While struggling, he saw several plainclothes guards guarding the other two corners of the ballroom moving towards here quickly.Wang Mutian was annoyed, he was stunned by his negligence, and what made him even more annoyed was that when he thought of the price he was about to pay, he became afraid.How could he be afraid!This is simply inexcusable. A bottle of soda flew out of nowhere and hit the chandelier on the ceiling with precision.Suddenly there was a bang, the bubbles of soda pop and shattered glass exploded above people's heads, and the dance hall fell into darkness again.Now, I'm afraid it won't be so fast to turn on the lights again. Amidst the screams of the people, Wang Mutian heard two gunshots. There was an explosion in the dance hall, which was even worse than the riot just now. Everyone was screaming and squeezing out, but the door was blocked by plainclothes.Wang Mutian took advantage of the chaos and struggled frantically. He used so much force that he almost fell down. Turning his head, he found that the plainclothes he had just grabbed onto him were limp like a human leather bag, and black liquid was bubbling violently from his forehead.It could only be blood. Wang Mutian was stunned, but was pushed roughly from behind.He was about to turn back, but the person who pushed him had already grabbed his hand and pulled him towards the opposite direction to the door.After a wild run against the current, Wang Mutian stumbled up the stairs with the man, and was thrown directly into the toilet of the ballroom with his mouth gnawed on the wall.He turned his head and saw a strange man with a gun in his hand quickly closing the door. The man is not tall, looks thin, but hides a sense of strength, and the silhouette of a body of strong muscles faintly emerges through the clothes in the back.He was wearing clothes that Wang Mutian seemed impossible to wear on the street, and even used hairspray on the top of his head. When he turned his head suddenly, Wang Mutian could see the expression when he blew the kiss from the handsome face with his jaw clenched and slightly sweaty. —The gigolo. The gigolo ran to the toilet window non-stop, pushed the window open and glanced down, then turned his head to Wang Mutian and snapped his chin: "You get down first, don't panic." Wang Mutian recovered from his stupor, digesting the current situation.At this moment, I was rescued by a gigolo with a gun, and the gigolo asked him to go down first... where?He ran to the window and saw a fire escape leading downstairs.Such a precarious and steep height made him lie on the spot dizzy for a second.In the next second, there was a heavy knock on the door behind him. The gigolo turned his back to Wang Mutian and pointed his gun at the door. Wang Mutian gritted his teeth and grabbed the window, turned over and jumped out. In the dance hall at this time, four or five Vietnamese police officers and two plainclothes officers were holding huge flashlights, and while checking the men and women who were under the table, lying on the ground, or hiding behind the bar, they shouted: "Come out! Stand up!" Good! Take out your ID card!" The people acted according to the instructions in shock. On the fire escape outside the window, Wang Mutian had already climbed halfway, his feet tremblingly extended to the next step. "Stand firmly." The gigolo's low voice came from above his head.He followed Wang Mutian step by step and climbed down. Wang Mutian looked down tremblingly, the slender steps seemed to be as high as the sky and the earth.Climbing trees is really not his forte, and neither is climbing ladders. Wang Mutian felt that after half his life, there were still eight or nine steps to the ground. Suddenly, there was a gunshot, and Wang Mutian was so startled that he missed and almost rolled over. The gunshot came from the top of his head. When Wang Mutian raised his head, the dancing boy who was still above him let go, passed Wang Mutian and fell directly to the ground.Wang Mutian stared at the two black gun muzzles protruding from the toilet window, his eyes were dizzy, thinking that that person was shot, he was shot... "Jump!" The "hit" person stood under the ladder in good order, and stretched out his hand to Wang Mutian.In the dark night, only his two eyes were so bright that it was frightening.Wang Mutian stared at him in surprise. There were two more gunshots, this time the bullets whizzed past Wang Mutian's scalp.The gigolo couldn't bear it and shouted: "Jump!" So, without thinking any more, Wang Mutian jumped down. The gigolo picked him up in his arms, and the impact of the fall caused both of them to stagger a step.The gunshot rang out again, and the gigolo took his hand and ran into the depths of the night. Mu Tian and Gigolo came rushing to the alley consisting of four-story French-style apartments on both sides.As soon as they reached another exit of the alley, the pursuers behind them had already arrived. "Stop!" With the roar, there was another gunshot. Gritting his teeth and cursing, the dancing boy braked and turned sharply. He skillfully took advantage of the desolate night and the winding alley.The figures of him and Wang Mutian gradually moved away from the chase, and the two suddenly turned again and broke into the alley of the vegetable market. Wang Mutian was dragged horizontally and vertically all the way, and he had already run to his limit. He wanted to say otherwise, forget it, you can run first, but the sudden tremor made his teeth clench.Wang Mutian staggered, and at the last second before his consciousness disappeared, the only thought in his mind was: ... This is really, really, the wrong time. The running gigolo was staggered by the force behind him.He turned his head angrily, and was stunned to see Wang Mutian fell to the ground like a piece of wood. The dancing boy hugged Wang Mutian and knelt down. He was almost out of breath, and his hands hurriedly groped and searched for Wang Mutian.There was no gunshot wound or blood, which made the gigolo heave a sigh of relief. "Hey, what's the matter with you?" There was no reply, Wang Mutian's whole body tightened and twitched. Gunshots approached. Every time he woke up after losing consciousness, Wang Mutian didn't know how long he had slept.It feels like it's been a long time. During those times, he had some dreams of turbulent wind and clouds, flying sand and rocks.I can’t remember the panorama of the dream. In the sporadic fragments, he was always running away, leaving over and over again from his old, musty house, from the humiliating livestock fence-like French-occupied area, fleeing aimlessly, where he was going Where he doesn't know yet, it's good to leave anyway.No matter how thoughtful the feed is, the animals in the pen will always want to leave the pen. When he woke up this time, Wang Mutian was awakened.I don't know where I'm curled up, my neck and back are stabbed hard, and it hurts very much. When I opened my eyes, the world was divided into fine meshes, and I couldn't see clearly after overlapping.The memories before coma came back slowly. Wang Mutian remembered his run that nearly vomited blood, the dark alley bumping in front of him, and the terrifying gunshots behind him... Wang Mutian sat up suddenly. The net-like world disappeared in an instant——Wang Mutian panted and widened his eyes, and saw the man in front of him copying a broken straw mat in his hand.It turned out that it was something he had just put on his head.At this moment, Wang Mutian saw clearly that he was on a vegetable market street.It was late, and the chicken, duck, and vegetable vendors had already packed up their stalls, spread some wool mats and straw frames on the ground, and fell asleep randomly under the base of the wall.Wang Mutian was stuffed between the many straw boxes, and the sound of gunshots and chasing footsteps could no longer be heard. "Do you have epilepsy?" The strange man in front of him frowned and asked him. Wang Mutian recognized that face, and he relaxed.He can't be counted as knowing the man who suddenly appeared in the ballroom, but this man has saved himself twice.Judging from his skillful adaptability and boldness, this person is undoubtedly the anti-Japanese senior in Wang Mutian's heart. The word "senior" flashed in his mind, and Wang Mutian felt embarrassed.Anyway, just now, he was holding back. The gigolo looked at him sternly: "Who asked you to do this?" Wang Mutian was stunned for a moment, this was the time to test himself, he subconsciously puffed up his chest to make himself look taller: "Everyone is responsible for the national crisis." The gigolo straightened up, he seemed angry and laughed but couldn't laugh.In the end, I only choked out a sentence: "There is a small hotel in front, go there and wash your face." Wang Mutian dazedly stretched out his hand to touch himself, he was startled, his face was half dry and half wet, the dry part had solidified, and it was so hard that his skin itched, and the wet part was like mud, which was still dripping down.Wang Mutian thought it was blood—at least it was very heroic, but when he put his finger under his nose and smelt it, it smelled like a blow to the head. "Learn a little bit, this handful of chicken manure might save your life." The gigolo looked away half-sarcastically and half-scribbled, "Go wash up. There is a tram stop through the back door of the small hotel. Go home Go study hard. You can play anything, don’t risk your life to play, if you want to be a warrior, you must first learn to cherish life.” Wang Mutian realized that the gigolo had already got up to leave.He hurried to catch up: "Anti-Japanese war does not distinguish between young and old! You are a senior, I can tell, I..." "Shut up!" The male dancer turned his head abruptly, his voice was extremely low and he did not suppress his anger, his eyes were piercing, and his head looked like it was about to shoot lightning in the night. "A hairy child like you has come out to fight against the Japanese. We who are fighting against the Japanese should go home and help our wives wash diapers!" Mu Tian felt insulted, but also shocked. The gigolo became more and more annoyed: "Do you think the anti-Japanese is mischievous and causing trouble? In order to save you, we gave up a meeting and wasted three bullets! Do you think the dance hall is full of shameless subjugated slaves?" Apparently the dancer felt that he had wasted time, and the effort of these few words wasted even more, so he turned his head and walked away quickly.Wang Mutian was stunned, and saw him suddenly turn around in the night to warn: "Hurry up and leave? Wait for me to beat you up?" The gigolo disappeared at the end of the alley.Wang Mutian was really scolded quite badly, but after chewing on the taste of this narrow escape, he laughed happily.This time, the Anti-Japanese War in his heart had a more solid sense of existence. In the thrift store opened by the Jews, Wang Duoying saw Sun Bining picking clothes as soon as she entered the door. Sun Bining is in her early fifties, although she is not as delicate and ruddy as Zhu Yuqiong, she is well maintained.She is small and thin, with quiet eyes and brows. Because of her excellent upbringing, her shoulders and neck have been straight all her life, and she is thin enough to hold up the airs of our wife.Sun Bining took a fancy to a piece of gray woolen cloth at the moment, twirling the fabric with her fingers and chatting with the boss about the price. Wang Duoying called out sweetly: "Mother Hong!" "Coming?" Sun Bining raised her head, pursed her lips and smiled, "Someday remove the word 'Hong' and call her Muma." Wang Duoying blushed: "I'm going to call me old-fashioned!" Sun Bining still smiled: "Does Wang Nan have a letter for you?" The Wang Nan that Sun Bining said was Hong's eldest son.Hong Wang and his family used to be family friends, and their ancestors came here together, but now they are both in decline. The children of the two families grew up from one room to one bed, and they said that their childhood sweethearts were not familiar enough. Already engaged.Seeing such a question, Wang Duoying sighed disappointedly: "I haven't had Thaksin for more than a month." Feeling embarrassed, she hurriedly added: "Maybe Wang Nan met a modern woman in the Mainland." Miss, don’t write me any letters anymore!” "Is Wang Nan that kind of person? He hasn't written to my mother for a long time." Sun Bining knew it was a joke, so she had to comfort her half-seriously.She unfolded the fabric and held it up to the light. "Do you see how good this material is? It's soft and light, just enough to make a spring and autumn coat." Narrowing his eyes to see the size on it, he nodded again and said, "Since so many Jews have come from Shanghai, they've taken their good stuff. When it comes to selling second-hand goods, I don’t even go into department stores anymore. Department stores are all Japanese products, and the woolen materials are still made by Westerners.” "Who do it for?" Wang Duoying stretched out her hand to touch it. Sun Bining glanced at her with a smile, and said affectionately, "Is it suitable for Wang Nan?" Wang Duoying's face turned red again, "It's pretty good. I want him to wear this to look good. In the photo I brought back last time, the person is dark and thin, just like a native of the mainland!" Sun Bining calmed down and handed the wool to the Jewish clerk wearing a black top hat.The clerk turned around to pack, and Sun Bining and Wang Duoying browsed the other items in the store while waiting.A cabinet with lights was placed conspicuously against the wall, and various old velvet boxes were displayed inside. The boxes were full of jewelry and jewelry. Sun Bining saw it next to the glass, and her eyes lit up: "Oh, this ring is newly put out, I haven't seen it last time. It's the same diamond, look at the setting... Your mother has a ring, it's hers Bought it with your dad in America, sort of like this." Wang Duoying turned her head and looked out the window, "It's hot early this year." Sun Bining understood, and slapped her lightly: "When you mention your mother, you interrupt! It's been a year, and you still refuse to call her?" Wang Duoying stopped laughing: "She doesn't call me either." "She is your mother, elder! You should speak first and call her! I have never seen a mother and daughter pissed off by you like this." "Who's mother hurts her daughter so much!... Otherwise, I am now in the third year of college in the mainland, and maybe I can still see Wang Nan often!" This topic cannot be mentioned, Wang Duoying mentions it every time All the grievances of the previous life will be brewed, "She pretended to be sick and lied to me, and tricked me from the school boat. I stayed up so many nights for the college entrance examination, and it was all for nothing! Now I am at home, spending every day in Huangmei , my heart is going to rot!" "It won't be long," Sun Bining half reassured her, half reassured herself, "Wait for Wang Nan to settle down in the rear, and he will find a way to take you over to get married." Wang Duoying nodded, and felt that it was too much to look forward to, so she curled her lips coquettishly: "It seems that I am in a hurry to get married!" The two people in the store were talking, and a few half-grown boys across the road hurried past.Wang Duoying was stunned for a moment, and the back of the first curly hair caught her eyes away. "Mum Hong, I'm sorry, I forgot one thing, I have to do it right away, I can't accompany you any longer!" Sun Bining followed her gaze, and then she understood: "You have to watch closely! Your mother is busy playing cards every day, so she can't keep an eye on him. Looking at those children, they seem to be causing trouble." Wang Duoying grinned and flew out like a snow-white bird. "Since we have sufficient funds now, each person should buy a bicycle. Because our next operation needs the speed of retreat." "Just buy two... One gold bar that Ah Mu stole from home is not enough for one person." "What about the remaining three people, who will ride and who will not ride?" In the woods of the French cemetery, a few old newspapers spread on the grass serve as tables and stools, and the newspapers in the middle are filled with canned meat, canned fish, sausages, bread and soft drinks, and the "little revolutionary soldiers" gather together Sitting around, staged victories and staged sufficient funds made these children ambitious. Wang Mutian listened silently, his mind flickering, and the scenes of last night flashed like a movie.Finally asked for his opinion, Wang Mutian raised his neck and drank the soda in his hand, threw the bottle behind his head in a heroic posture, stood up, and said, "The following actions are temporarily cancelled." After a second of silence, someone jumped up immediately. "why?" "The danger is too great, the actual effect is not great, and the loss outweighs the gain." Wang Mutian looked at the crowd with an indifferent look, "If you want to be a warrior, you must first learn to cherish life." These words came out of the man's mouth last night, and there was a clanging sound, but Wang Mutian's mouth was not so popular.Xiao Zheng, who was wearing glasses, narrowed his eyes and said, "Oh...are you scared?" Wang Mutian didn't call anywhere: "You're the one who's afraid!" It’s not a big deal to watch the excitement, Xiao Gao laughed and laughed between the two: "A Mu is afraid of spending money! Ah Mu paid such a large amount of activity expenses today, he feels distressed!" Xiao Zheng said contemptuously: "If my family has money, I'm not afraid of spending it!" In a hurry, Wang Mu took out a handful of crumpled banknotes from his pocket and threw them on the ground, then turned and left.He stopped suddenly again, turned around and said, "Take it! I've already contacted the real anti-Japanese guerrillas, and you don't even want to pour chamber pots for others!" These words were powerful, Xiao Zheng and the others were taken aback for a moment, and then laughed again: "The guerrillas still use chamber pots?" Wang Mutian didn't pay any attention to them, and walked away quickly, humming contemptuously in his heart: "Childish!" After Wang Mutian walked away, Xiao Zheng led the people and dispersed, and the messy picnic cloth was thrown on the ground and no one picked it up.Behind an old tree not far from the tablecloth, Wang Duoying was alone digesting what she had just seen and heard, and her heart jumped for a moment. Her young master, this is really going to die. In the study of the Wang family, the old housekeeper, Guan Ma, still had a widow's face, and she was trying to settle accounts with the hostess Zhu Yuqiong to fight the famine. "Oh, the price of meat has gone up? Then eat more fish." Zhu Yuqiong drew up her cuffs to write with a brush, and when she finished writing, she raised her eyebrows and looked at it. Guan Ma said with a stern face, "But Miss doesn't want to eat fish." Zhu Yuqiong angrily changed to another place and wrote another pen: "Then please eat more tofu, miss." "Eating tofu every day doesn't hurt your appetite?" "It hurts to eat dried tofu!" Guan Ma curled her lips, shook her head and walked away. Zhu Yuqiong slapped the pen on the inkstone and became angry: "Oh, who is your face showing? It's like I abused my daughter!" Guan Ma stopped and turned her head to look at her. Zhu Yuqiong couldn't hold back her anger any more: "The food expenses at home have already been eaten out of pocket, and now I'm eating the Wang family's property. When Wang Shihui left, he left behind a house and a car. , now the car has been gnawed off, and if I gnaw again, I will gnaw the house! When is this? There is a war outside! The Japanese will not even give her fish to eat in the future!" There was a lot of wind and rain, and Guan Ma responded to all changes without changing, and said plainly: "Then don't always keep those wives who play cards for dinner." Zhu Yuqiong choked for a moment: "How much can they eat? At most, a bowl of Jiuniangxiaoyuanzi, or a bowl of Yangchun noodles! Even if it's to the point where I'm eating this house, I can't stop being human, right?...Who told her not to eat fish? What? Starve her for three days, and she will eat fish bones!" "Isn't it time to go hungry for three days?" Guan Ma still had the same face, "Or buy less meat and just cook a small stove for the lady..." Zhu Yuqiong raised her red eyes: "Miss, don't you need money when you get married? It's fine if you marry someone else's family. If you marry the young master of the Hong family, the Hong family and the Wang family have a good relationship with each other, and you can do some worthless dowry. I'm not afraid that Mrs. Hong will die laughing." !" "The Hong family cares about this?" Guan Ma could only snort, "Ma'am, you are too strong." "If I want to be strong, I won't allow you to talk to me like this! You marry me to the Wang family, relying on my mother liking you when she was alive, you can take advantage of me whenever you can!" Zhu Yuqiong really burst into tears stand up. Guan Ma spread her hands: "If you dislike me, I'll leave." Zhu Yuqiong burst into tears and walked to the bathroom. "Don't you have the upper hand on me? You can't even talk about it, and you will leave as soon as you say it!... You go!" Guan Ma looked at her helplessly. Zhu Yuqiong entered the bathroom, and the door closed with a bang. Just as Guan Ma was about to leave, Zhu Yuqiong yelled in the bathroom: "Where's the toilet paper? Guan Mom! The toilet paper is gone! Bring me some!" Guan Ma clicked her tongue and staggered her feet, muttering and sighing: "You told me to go! Who will get you the toilet paper!" After a long time, Zhu Yuqiong came out of the bathroom, feeling that she hadn't said what she wanted to say, she walked up the stairs and called Guan Ma again.The door facing the stairs opened and closed, and the third uncle slowly entered the house with a telegram in his hand.Zhu Yuqiong was halfway down the stairs, when she saw him, her eyes flickered, and a kind of delicacy rarely seen on the face of middle-aged women flew to her cheeks. "Are you still here?" She turned around and walked back, stopped at the top of the stairs, turned her head, and looked at him so charmingly and domineeringly again. The third uncle laughed, and the clothes of a shrewd and decisive businessman in the business world were completely removed with this smile.Facing Zhu Yuqiong, this man is no longer the boss of Jingcheng Bank who dominates half of Shanghai, but a patient, talkative, and affectionate middle-aged man. "I saw the yellow croaker bought by Guan Ma in the kitchen. It's really big and so fresh." Uncle San said. Zhu Yuqiong looked at his face, and twisted his jaw into the living room: "You can smell yellow croakers at home, right? If you don't have fresh yellow croakers, don't come to see me!" The third uncle followed in, raising the letter in his hand: "Here, the telegram. Just at the gate, Lao Lin from the post office sent a telegram. I signed my name. I called you from Singapore. Who is it?" Zhu Yuqiong picked up a metal cigarette case containing cigars, and pulled out a cigar from it, which was half smoked.She handed the cigar to Uncle Third, and then the match to him.The third uncle took out a paper bag from his pocket: "I almost forgot, here, your favorite olive." Zhu Yuqiong grinned.She is a greedy little girl in front of this man, and she is only satisfied when he brings mouth-filling snacks.Her heart was nourished, and she still took the olive with a lazy air: "You read the telegram first, I can't find my reading glasses." The third uncle sat down on the armchair, tore open the telegram, glanced at it, and raised his head. "Hey, your brother in Singapore has a little daughter, isn't she called Xiaoxia?" Zhu Yuqiong was taken aback: "Yes, what's wrong?" The third uncle closed the telegram: "She will arrive in Shanghai tomorrow." Zhu Yuqiong's eyes lit up immediately: "Really?" She stepped forward to snatch the telegram, glanced at it, and then said pleasantly: "Oh, my sister-in-law and I can't get along after my brother passed away, and we have cut off correspondence for so long... Is it tomorrow?" The two were talking, Wang Duoying hurried in from outside, treated Zhu Yuqiong as transparent as usual, and smiled affectionately when she saw the third uncle, "Is the third uncle here?" . Zhu Yuqiong's voice chased her: "Where have you been? You didn't eat lunch at home..." Wang Duoying went all the way through the living room and into the study next door.Zhu Yuqiong stared at her for a while, and then she was lost. "How old is Xiaoxia this year?" The third uncle looked at the telegram again. "Twenty-three years old." Zhu Yuqiong thought for a while, and then said: "I probably graduated from a university in the United States last year. I haven't seen her yet, but I have seen a few photos of her before she was ten years old." Yes." She pointed to a family portrait under the glass of the tea table, on which there was an eight or nine-year-old girl, "Here, this is it. Her sister is five years older than her and married to England." The third uncle let out an "oh", smoked a cigar, and immediately frowned, his eyes fell on the telegram again. Uncle San and Zhu Yuqiong's voices drifted into the study, and Wang Mutian stared at a landscape spread out on the desk, listening to each other.The mountains and rivers in front of me are sparse, bright, open and closed, and they don't look like they were written by a woman.When looking at such paintings, Wang Mutian would have complicated questions about his mother in his heart.When did she become so trivial?Is it always like this?It's been like this all the time, and I can put such rivers and mountains in my heart! Hearing the door knock, Wang Mutian raised his head.At the door, Wang Duoying closed the door behind her back with a mysterious and threatening smile on her face. "What did you do yesterday afternoon?" Wang Duoying stared at Wang Mutian. Wang Mutian didn't know why, so he looked at the painting again lazily: "Huh?" Wang Duoying raised her eyebrows: "Don't pretend to be deaf with me, every time I'm with a few of them, I'm rehearsing a quintet, right?" Wang Mutian felt a little uncomfortable, he paused: "Yesterday was not a rehearsal." The mysterious and threatening smile on Wang Duoying's face gradually widened and turned into a smug one. She stepped forward, resting her hands on the painting. Wang Mutian yelled: "Oh, don't ruin Muma's painting, it's not finished yet." Wang Duoying stared hard at her younger brother's face, bit her lips and nodded: "I can see that your mind is spinning like hell. Are you going to lie and say it's an outing or a reading club? I won't tell Mommy, so You'd better be honest..." Wang Mutian raised his eyes and interrupted her bluntly: "I went to fight against the Japanese." This made Wang Duoying stunned, as if she had been hit by a stick. She had prepared a lot of words and hadn't said anything yet. Wang Mutian stood up from the table, picked up a book and walked towards the door. Wang Duoying chased after unwillingly: "Eating canned meat and drinking soda is also called anti-Japanese?" Wang Mutian stopped at the door and turned around.His expression was slow and orderly, completely showing the reserve and laziness of adults towards young people. "Even dancing tango and rumba are anti-Japanese, understand?" In order to get rid of his sister and entered the living room, Wang Mutian had nothing to say, and grinned affectionately at Uncle San: "Uncle San, you said last time that you would buy me a pair of imported sunglasses!" "I went to several thrift stores, but I didn't come across this brand." The third uncle is the same as he is used to Zhu Yuqiong. He took out his sunglasses from his pocket, and the gold-plated "Mont Blanc" in the box was under the light. Shiny. Wang Mutian obviously had time to turn over the one his sister picked up, he opened the box, took out the sunglasses from inside and put it on his face, "Then let me wear your pair first!" The third uncle smiled and leaned forward to snatch it back: "This is impossible!" Wang Mutian dodged like a monkey, shouting: "The third uncle wears it like an old hooligan!" Zhu Yuqiong smacked her lips: "Ah Mu! It's broken! Third Uncle's pair of glasses are extremely expensive!" The third uncle smiled: "Let him wear it." Wearing sunglasses, Wang Mutian walked up to an upright mirror to look at himself, and saw his mother and third uncle smiling knowingly from the mirror. Zhu Yuqiong walked up and down the room, unable to settle down, and muttered as she walked: "When Xiaoxia comes, I have to take out two gold bars. After my brother passed away, I and his family all No more contacts, my niece is coming to Shanghai for the first time, so she must meet the world in Shanghai, right?" Wang Mutian was shocked. Zhu Yuqiong is still thinking: "The price is so high now that meat is almost unbearable. Let's eat less meat, so we can't treat our children badly. Besides, food, clothing, housing and transportation are all money. It won't take long to exchange a gold bar." "Why don't you take out all the gold bars and loan them out, there must be some interest." The third uncle smoked a cigar.Ever since he lost his master, the third uncle helped Zhu Yuqiong openly and secretly.朱玉琼当起家来有出无入，手脚还甚大，偌大个王家现今还能顿顿吃足，另有留客摆饭的余地，不如说是三伯伯在一手撑着。 朱玉琼自己也明白：“那你帮着拿到你的精诚银行去放。你晓得我，碰到跟钱有关系的事情，笨死了！” “我精诚银行里有个襄理，很会做这方面的投机生意。我替你找他去。” “那好，回头我把那几根条子都让你带走。” 镜子前头，王沐天头皮发炸。 金条被自己挖掉用了，挖的时候王沐天脑子里本也过了一下子来日朱玉琼发现了该要怎么办，他也没当真想，谁知道“来日”这么快就到了眼前。 王沐天额头上急出汗来，默然半天，他想到一个名字。 中午，洪家公寓客厅里，洪望梅仰在沙发上看画报，一只穿着时新丝袜的纤纤脚尖在膝头上一点一点的，透着年轻女孩子的活跃和不安分。 洪望梅二十一岁，红润润的苹果脸，明眸大眼一身的活泼，跟一脸纤弱学生气的王多颖不同，这个年纪女孩子的风韵和成熟在她身上已初见规模。此时大学放了暑假，洪望梅挨在家里正在无聊。 门口，孙碧凝领着王沐天欢天喜地地走了进来：“梅梅，添一双筷子，阿沐来了！阿沐，换换鞋子！我去厨房替你舀一碗绿豆百合汤，消消暑！” 洪望梅一骨碌翻身起，把书一丢，轻快地整了整自己浅粉色带白点的短袖旗袍，见到王沐天便甜甜地笑了：“阿沐口福太好了，姆妈烧了你最喜欢吃的菜：红烧蹄髈！” 洗手洗脸后，洪望梅把王沐天按坐在餐厅大桌前头等着开饭，孙碧凝已然忙着摆好了半桌菜，最后剪彩一样揭开桌心大盖碗的盖子，里面一只晶莹红亮的蹄髈浸润在酱汁里跳进眼来。 孙碧凝满面春风地说：“阿沐，来来来，昨天晚上烧的，放了二两冰糖，咬上去糯米一样，精彩得不得了！” “昨天是过什么节？”王沐天笑着问。 “什么节呀，”洪望梅讲起话来像倒豆子，一字是一字，叮叮当当地脆利，“我爸爸今天从杭州讲课回来，我妈给他接风。” 王沐天把筷子放下：“那别动了，给洪伯伯留着吧！” “什么红伯伯绿伯伯，阿沐才是洪家姆妈的心头肉！”孙碧凝说着一阵风似的又刮走了，“再等我一个汤！” 见孙碧凝去了厨房，洪望梅咬着嘴唇，笑着打量王沐天：“一个学期没见你，你又长高了呀。” “能不能借点钱给我？”王沐天忽然小声说。 洪望梅愣了，也把声音放低：“你要钱干什么？” 王沐天犹豫了一下：“我要是不说，你借不借给我？” 洪望梅诧异地上下打量王沐天，转而撇嘴一笑，起身往自己的屋里走去，“你跟我来。” 进了自己卧室，洪望梅把门一关，到桌前去翻抽屉，深深弯腰的动作让旗袍把她的腰身勾勒成了一个漂亮的葫芦，这个葫芦持续填充在王沐天的视野里。王沐天坐在女孩儿闺房的单人床上本就不自在了，这会儿脸上一红，移开了目光。 望梅翻出一个小盒子，用一把袖珍钥匙打开上面的小锁，盒子里放着年轻姑娘的全部体己，有首饰，有钞票，还有十几块大洋。 望梅要把小盒子推过去，推到一半，又忽地收了回来，她抬手摸了摸沐天的卷头发，手指径直顺着头发摸到脸蛋上，眼睛里亮闪闪地擎着笑。 “我好，还是你姐姐好？”她问。 沐天感觉有些异样，心里咚咚直跳，不禁往后缩了缩。“今天我刚跟我姐姐吵架……” 洪望梅咯咯笑了，拿起盒子里面一卷钞票和几块大洋，一股脑儿放在床上，口气豪迈地说：“这些是我从小到大存的钱，压岁钱，生日礼金，还有去年到一个阔佬儿家给他孩子补习英文的工钱，全在这里了。” 沐天正要接过钱，望梅摁住他的手，半真半假地挨近他：“诶，亲我一下！” 王沐天傻了，呆呆地看着洪望梅。望梅已经凑过来，把手指在丰盈紧致的脸蛋上轻轻一弹：“这里。” 王沐天不知如何是好，傻乎乎地把嘴唇在她脸蛋上碰了一碰。滚烫的温度传递过嘴唇闪电一样射进王沐天的脑子中，王沐天不禁打了个抖。 洪望梅慢慢睁开眼睛抿嘴一笑，她摸摸自己的脸颊，不知是满意还是有点嗔怪地瞪着他：“钱拿走吧。” 王沐天如释重负，听话地抓起林林总总的一把钱，正要点数，望梅在一边说：“别数了，一共五十三块。” 王沐天停住手，没意思地站起身来说：“……算了吧，我不要了。” 洪望梅惊讶地问：“为什么？” “差得太远了。”王沐天叹了口气，“你怎么才这一点钱？” 洪望梅扬眉叫起来：“口气吓死人！那你呢？连这点钱都没有，还要跟我借！拿去啊！” 王沐天回身出屋，心里重新盘算起来：“算了。我家里随便怎么搜刮一下，拿到当铺去卖，也能卖得比这个多。” 洪望梅笑起来：“小败家子儿！” 她追着王沐天回到餐厅，见王沐天皱眉坐在桌前，自己也坐了过去：“你一定在外面吃了大官司了，为什么要这么多钱？” 王沐天心里还在盘算，敷衍着：“我吃什么官司啊。” 洪望梅诡秘地一笑：“是不是让谁家小姑娘吃了你的亏……” 王沐天腾地红了脸：“瞎说！” 洪望梅捂着嘴咯咯笑：“告诉我，我又不说出去！” 两人在这里说悄悄话，孙碧凝已经捧着一盆子湛清碧绿的西湖牛肉羹笑着进来了。“什么秘密呀？两人可以去做间谍了。” 王沐天打住话头，慢慢地拿起筷子。孙碧凝展展手坐下：“开饭，开饭！梅梅啊，你们刚才在说什么钱？” 洪望梅笑嘻嘻地打岔：“姆妈你怎么听的！没提到一个'钱'字呀！阿沐这么个小鬼头，要钱干什么？再说，王家姆妈会让她宝贝阿沐缺钱花？” 王沐天把筷子一撂：“我今天来，其实是跟洪家姆妈借钱的。” 孙碧凝吓了一跳，瞪着他。望梅也傻了。 话都说出来了，王沐天吸了口气，飞速把刚刚组织完毕的语言倒在桌上：“我表姐马上要到上海了，她是南洋长大的，头一次到上海，姆妈想送点礼物，不过她手里一下子没那么多现钱……” 孙碧凝讶异地打量王沐天：“不会的吧？你家家底，我还不知道？瘦死的骆驼比马大，烂船还有三千钉呢。” 王沐天便一低头，每日都听一万遍的唠叨这时候派用场了，“妈说，爹走了以后，我们家就在啃家底，金山银山也经不住这样啃，已经把一部汽车啃光了，再啃只能啃房子了。姐姐的嫁妆是不能动的……” 屋里静下来。孙碧凝瞪视王沐天半天，才开口：“哎哟，真没想到。那三伯伯对你妈，一点儿都不照管？” “就因为三伯伯把我姆妈的钱都拿到他精诚银行放贷去了。我妈说，等她把印子钱连本带利收回来，就还给您。” 孙碧凝思磨了一回：“是不是玉琼自己不好意思来张口，让你来的？” 王沐天替自己脸红，点点头。 孙碧凝起身走过来，心疼地搂了搂沐天的肩膀。“可怜的阿沐！……你这个妈，不是我背后说她，这岁数了还像个不懂事的孩子！家底都啃空了，还摆那么大个架子，光佣人就雇了好几个，做事情倒没人做，而且个个都敢顶她的嘴！你说说，你这个妈，一身本事，琴棋书画样样通，过日子没一样用得上！” 王沐天咬着牙，忍受着孙碧凝对母亲的责难。王家风气从上到下都是这样的，自家人自家可以瞧不起、瞧不惯，别人说一个不字那都不可以。王沐天飞速地找补：“妈说印子钱利息蛮高的，一收回来，马上就还给你。” 孙碧凝没好气地用鼻孔哼出来：“还什么，不用还了。” 王沐天抬头：“那怎么可以？” 孙碧凝：“我还没答应借给她呢，怎么还呀？” 王沐天不作声了。孙碧凝叹息着站起身。 “你姐姐嫁过来，头一桩事情我就是要教她过日子。弹钢琴能把锅里的饭弹熟了？别到将来又是一个玉琼。要多少？” 王沐天愣了半晌，小声地：“一根金条的数。” 这不是小数目，孙碧凝心里紧了紧，回思又叹气，小数目朱玉琼也不至于来开口。她看着王沐天叹气：“我手头倒是有一根金条，借给她吧。” 王沐天越发脸红：“等我妈的印子钱收回来……” “就马上还给我。知道了。”孙碧凝替他说完，自己摸了钥匙去开柜子，“不还也没法子，肉都烂在肉锅里，我们以后横竖是两亲家！” 王沐天脸上滚烫，正要说什么，门开了。洪望梅跳起来迎上去：“爸爸！” 一身风尘的洪涧琛进了门。洪涧琛年过花甲，头发尽都银白了，同他夫人一样，老教授瘦而笔挺，常年的忧思让他脸上纹路深刻。在女校里，这位教授讲起课来诙谐倜傥，风度慷慨，下了学却是惯不爱说话的。王沐天自小有些怕这位严肃的长者，他怯怯地喊：“洪伯伯。” 孙碧凝马上上前接过丈夫拎的公文包。 “这是哪一班火车，怎么这个钟点到啊？” 洪涧琛疲惫不堪地展着衣裳：“昨晚就上路了。日本兵临时进驻校园。上了火车又碰到日本兵搜查火车，折腾到今天早上才让发车。” 洪家再度热闹起来，一家人围坐开饭。 而洪涧琛却不知道，在昨晚的那列火车上，他与自己已经一年未见的儿子仅仅隔了一个车厢。