Chapter 3 chapter 2

Standing on the street, Hong Wangnan took a deep breath. This was the Shanghai he had been parting from for a year, and the Fuzhou Road where he ran to the university since he was a kid. He could hear his hometown dialects, the hurried clerks, the gorgeous women, and the well-dressed gentlemen. They... He used to think that this city belonged to him, but at this moment he really looks like a stranger: flaxen suit, dark skin, straw hat, sunglasses, all overseas Chinese in Southeast Asia seem to have this ghostly look. Hong Wangnan's name on his current ID card is Jiang Pingxun. This name is quite poetic: with what he has learned in his life, he can level the world with soldiers.But the hotel concierge couldn't find any poetic meaning. He scratched the back of his head and asked him what the last word read. He smiled, showing his neat and white teeth: "Xian, it sounds the same as the word 'dangerous' in 'dangerous'."

The hotel room was simple and clean. Hong Wangnan pushed open a window facing south, and the sunlight and tree shadows came through without losing the opportunity. Who has the better voice in the Maemi competition.These long-lost scenes inevitably aroused Hong Wangnan's melancholy of longing for his relatives, wondering if his parents are well, and whether Duoying is still thinking about him... It's a pity that he can't see them even though he is close at hand, because the purpose of his trip It's not visiting relatives, nor is it talking about love. But it is always possible to make a phone call, he encouraged himself to go out of the room, find a phone booth diagonally opposite the hotel, pick up the receiver, and report a series of numbers that are too familiar to the operator.Sun Bining's voice quickly came out of the microphone: "Hello? Which one?"

Hearing his mother's voice, Hong Wangnan was speechless for a moment, obviously he overestimated his concentration. "Hey, hello, who is it?" Sun Ningbi raised her voice. Hong Wangnan clenched the microphone tightly, trying to suppress the excitement in his heart, "Mom, it's me." "Ah?" Sun Ningbi screamed, "Wang Nan! My son, you finally called! Tell mom how are you, why don't you come back? Mom misses you so much!" Sun Bining because This unexpected surprise suddenly became incoherent. "Mommy, I'm in Hong Kong, and I can't go back yet." Hong Wangnan was a little ashamed, and the feeling of lying to his mother was not good. "Is Dad okay? Is little sister okay?"

"It's all good! Hey, I said Wang Nan, why don't you ask A Ying..." Sun Bining's laughter penetrated the phone line, and then asked questions again, and Hong Wangnan's pain of longing was quickly warmed completely surrounded. The happiness didn't last long. Hong Wangnan noticed that there were two people sneaking around the door of the hotel. After a while, one went in and the other was still guarding the door. Later, the person who went in came out to meet the people outside the door and whispered to each other. .This made him wary. Sun Bining said: "Your dad is here, let him talk to you!"

Hong Jianchen's voice came over the phone, but Hong Wangnan had to hang up. He had a secret mission, so he had to be careful in everything. Hong Wangnan returned to the door of the hotel, the two men stared at him, and one of them suddenly said, "Mr. Hong!" Hong Wangnan ignored it and continued to walk in.Another man rushed to Hong Wangnan: "Sir, wait a moment." Hong Wangnan stopped and pretended to be puzzled: "Call me?" "Excuse me, are you Mr. Hong?" "I'm sorry, you misidentified the person." Hong Wangnan passed between the two calmly.He came to the counter, greeted the concierge in a low voice, and asked if anyone had left a letter for his room. The concierge looked through the files, and then handed a small paper package to Hong Wangnan.

Back in the room, Hong Wangnan carefully unwrapped the paper bag from the tea shop, and there was indeed a bag of tea inside.He groped through the tea leaves with his fingers, but found nothing.He picked up the wrapping paper and looked at it carefully. Under the light, there were green patterns printed on the paper, and the words "Eternal Green" in cursive script were in the middle of each green rhombus.Then he found a small line printed on the bottom of the paper, which was the address of the tea shop. In the evening, Hong Wangnan arrived at Yongqing Tea Shop.The tea shop is quite large, with a space separated by four screens. Through the gauze curtain on the screen, two small mahogany square tables and drum-shaped stools around the table can be seen for guests to drink tea.Hong Wangnan took out the bag of tea from his pocket and put it on the counter.

The owner of the tea shop is in his thirties, with a thin figure and a polite smile on his face.Seeing the bag of tea, he immediately came over and asked, "What's your order, sir?" Hong Wangnan asked the boss: "Is this the tea from your bank?" The boss glanced at the packaging and nodded in agreement.Hong Wangnan slowed down his tone: "A friend gave it to me today. I like it. I want to buy more for my family." "Okay, do you want the same Mao Feng? Don't you want to try my Houkui?" A gleam of light appeared in the boss's eyes. Hong Wangnan nodded and said, "Then try it."

The boss pointed to the inside of the screen and said, "Please sit there for a while, the tea will be brewed right away." Turning the screen, the smile on the boss's face disappeared, his expression became solemn, and his voice lowered: "My name is Ji Jiaming, welcome back to Shanghai." Hong Wangnan stepped forward and held Ji Jiaming's hand: "Hello!" Ji Jiaming glanced outside the screen, and said in a low voice: "I wanted to leave a note for you in the tea bag, but after thinking about it, it's not good, in case someone troublesome opens it... the whole city is full of dogs hired by the Japanese. "

Hong Wangnan couldn't help expressing his admiration for Ji Jiaming's carefulness. This person doesn't look simple, but he can see a kind of sophistication and calmness from his speech and demeanor.He quickly brewed the tea, and Hong Wangnan took a sip from the delicate purple sand teacup, and said with a sigh: "Compared to when I left Shanghai, the taste is different." Ji Jiaming doesn't seem to like to talk nonsense, "The Japanese are looking for the exact location of the Central Aircraft Manufacturing Plant, and their secret agents are really good. They actually know that you are back."

Hong Wangnan was startled: "How is it possible?" Ji Jiaming's eyes were a little cold: "Did you use your real name when you stayed in a hotel in Hong Kong?" Hong Wangnan frowned and remained silent. Ji Jiaming warned implicitly: "So! The Japanese blew up the central aircraft factory in Jianqiao. Now that the U.S. and the Nationalist government have just signed a contract to build a new factory, they are trying to sabotage it. If you If it falls into their hands, it will suffer a lot." Hong Wangnan smiled wryly: "No wonder two people came to the hotel today to inquire about me...why do those spies have such long ears?"

Ji Jiaming became alert: "Then I'll help you change to another hotel right away. In addition, I will send someone to protect you, and you have to be careful when you act." He took out a note, "It turns out that there are more than 20 technical backbones in the factory. I have moved from Hangzhou to Shanghai, and I have found some, and some have not. This is the name and address of the person who found it.” Hong Wangnan finished reading the note, his eyes lit up, and he said excitedly: "These technical backbones are very important. The scale of the manufacturing plant in the future will be larger than in the past. They will manufacture new American fighters and bombers. The airframes are all produced in the factory based on blueprints, and the technical requirements are very high, requiring a large number of skilled workers and technical backbones, and there is no time to train them in a short time. I must take away the original technicians and draftsmen this time." Ji Jiaming shook his head: "The ones who haven't been found may have moved out of Shanghai." A trace of disdain suddenly appeared in his eyes, "How many people can afford to live in Shanghai? There are also a few people who found jobs in Japanese and puppet companies. You can't mobilize them either." Hong Wangnan thought for a while and made up his mind: "I'll talk to them. Everyone has the desire to serve the country, try to win them over." The two said goodbye.But soon Hong Wangnan retreated again, with an unnatural expression, Ji Jiaming raised his head in doubt, he waved his hands and smiled bitterly: "I saw a relative." "Afraid that he is unreliable?" Hong Wangnan tried his best to calm himself down: "Not really. My superiors haven't given me instructions on whether I can see my family and friends." Ji Jiaming glanced at the door: "Help you call a rickshaw, Xiao Ding!" The car came quickly, Hong Wangnan walked out quickly with his head down like a thief and got into the car.It's a pity that he still didn't hide, and a loud cry came into his ears: "Wang Nan!" The world of lovers is always small, and Wang Duoying and Hong Wangnan met on a narrow road.At this moment, Wang Duoying is all in white, like a puppet princess, staring in doubt. Is that Wang Nan she thinks about day and night? Hong Wangnan tried hard not to turn his head, but kept urging the coachman in a low voice: "Go! Hurry up!" The coachman started to run like flying.After running, Wang Duoying came to her senses. Seeing Hong Wangnan's rickshaw merge into the torrent, she suddenly lost her mind, took off her high-heeled leather sandals, held them in her hand, and chased after them with all her might. The night became darker, and Snow White chased her Prince Charming in the dark night, disregarding the dignity of a lady, but the people in the car were heartless and never turned back. The red light at the intersection ahead was on, and Wang Duoying took the opportunity to catch up.When he arrived at the intersection, the rickshaw driver had already spread his legs and started running again... Wang Duoying stopped, panting, and suddenly felt some pain in her feet. She raised her feet and saw blood on the soles of her feet.At this time, a rickshaw was coming, and she hurriedly stopped it and jumped on it. Hong Wangnan got out of the car with sweat profusely, this reunion after a long absence was really not a wonderful one.When I got to the counter to pick up the keys, the night shift was replaced by a young man who asked him the room number. He seemed to feel someone walking behind him, and immediately changed his words: "No. 45." There was indeed a young man in a silk blouse behind the counter.The man stopped him at the stairs on the second floor: "Mr. Hong Wangnan, please stay!" Hong Wangnan shrugged at the man: "Sorry, my surname is Jiang." Before the words fell, I heard a crisp cry from the bottom of the stairs: "Wang Nan!" Someone exposed Hong Wangnan's identity, and the young man laughed softly. Wang Duoying was panting violently, her face covered with sweat or tears was full of frustration and anger, her eyes never let go of Hong Wangnan: "Why are you hiding from me?" Hong Wangnan sighed inwardly, but pretended to be calm on the surface. He ignored the young man and said to Wang Duoying, "I just arrived in Shanghai, and I came to this hotel to find someone." The young man suddenly came forward again and handed over a business card: "Mr. Hong, is this the person you are looking for?" Hong Wangnan took the business card, which had Lin Zu'an written on it, and felt relaxed all of a sudden.It turned out that Lin Zu'an was entrusted by Ji Jiaming, and came here to help Hong Wangnan change his residence. Hong Wangnan saw that Wang Duoying was sitting on the wicker chair in the hotel, carefully wiping the blood and dirt on the soles of her feet with a handkerchief, and couldn't help feeling distressed: "Aying, why are you so stupid?" Wang Duoying's tears of grievance kept falling like broken beads, and she turned her face aside.Hong Wangnan couldn't bear it even more, and said to Wang Duoying, "Wait a minute." Then he quickly went to his room and took out a bandage, and handed it to Wang Duoying, "Here, there is a disinfectant ointment on it." Wang Duoying stopped sobbing and took the bandage silently.Hong Wangnan looked at her in embarrassment: "Aying, there are some things that I can't tell my family for now, and I can't..." Wang Duoying snapped and said, "Okay, don't explain anymore. I won't care too much." Her anger came and went quickly, after all, the two hadn't seen each other for a year, so the so-called resentment was only on the surface. Hong Wangnan deliberately asked back: "Why don't you care too much?" Wang Duoying raised her head and looked directly at Hong Wangnan: "How many days have you not looked in the mirror? Don't look at yourself, your face is tanned, you look like an Annan arrester, except for me, there are girls in Shanghai who want Do you?" After saying this, she suddenly realized that she was not reserved, and blushed.This redness seduced Hong Wangnan and made him drunk all of a sudden. Early in the morning, Zhu Yuqiong brought Wang Mutian and Guan Ma to the International Settlement to pick up people at the Gonghexiang Wharf. Zhu Yuqiong's Nanyang niece, Sang Xia, was coming soon.Zhu Yuqiong took out the photo pressed on the glass plate from her purse. The eight or nine-year-old girl in the "family portrait" was very blurred in her presbyopic vision.In order to make up for her presbyopia, she straightened her arms, moved the photo as far away as possible, and squinted at the girl in the photo. Wang Mutian took out a pre-written card from his trousers pocket, which read: Greetings Miss Sang Xia.Zhu Yuqiong snatched the cards and threw them aside: "Why do you use this kind of thing? I'm not a stranger. They come from the same blood, and I can smell the smell!" Wang Mutian retorted disapprovingly: "What's the smell? Is it fragrant or stinky?" Zhu Yuqiong glared at him and scolded him for being glib. Soon, Wang Mutian smelled Sang Xia's smell: it was the smell of fresh sunshine.The moment she appeared, the sun suddenly shone into his world, and it never went away. Sang Xia is about twenty-two or three years old, with dark skin, tall and plump, wearing a wide-brimmed straw hat, a Western-style white shirt, and beige suit pants. This dress is obviously the style of a standard Nanyang girl.She walked up to Zhu Yuqiong carrying two rattan boxes, one large and one small, and put the rattan box down heavily, with a smile that was not unfamiliar at all on her sweat-soaked face: "Your Majesty!" Zhu Yuqiong was surprised, she didn't expect the woman in front of her to be Sang Xia, so she couldn't help but wonder: "Are you Xiaoxia?" Sang Xia smiled and nodded, she put her arms around Zhu Yuqiong's shoulders and hugged her tightly.Zhu Yuqiong's lips parted in shock. Sang Xia let go of her aunt, and turned her gaze to Wang Mutian: "Is this Ah Mu?" Then she held Wang Mutian's hand affectionately, "Such a big man, his face still looks like when he was a child!" Wang Mutian was a little at a loss, he even looked a little shy, how different from girls in Shanghai!When he saw this Nanyang girl for the first time, his ignorant youth suddenly became enlightened. It turned out that youth can be so beautiful besides resisting the Japanese.Yes, wonderful. Talking and laughing all the way, Sang Xia followed to Wang's house, and the first thing she did when she got home was to open the box, first she took out a piece of magnificent printed silk fabric, and then another piece of beautiful silk fabric: "These two pieces are for sending For the empress and cousin." Zhu Yuqiong hadn’t received such a grand gift for a long time, and exaggeratedly said: “Oh, such a beautiful material, where can I wear it? People will call me an old goblin after wearing it! What a waste of money!” But said After all, he still took the material and made gestures on his body. Sang Xia smiled, and took out a small box from the box: "This is my father's gift to your empress." Yuqiong opened the box, saw a piece of sapphire inside, and immediately protested with surprise on her face: "I never wear my own jewelry!" Sang Xia said: "Before my father died, he said that when you married my uncle, he owed you a gift. This debt has been owed for so many years. He also said that your mother lives in Shanghai Shili Yangchang, what kind of vision is it? If you can’t get something good, it’s better not to give it away, he has been looking for it for many years before he found this Thai gem.” Yuqiong was admiring the gemstones in the bright light of the room, but her eye circles couldn't help turning red again. She thought of Nanyang's dead brother, who hadn't been able to see each other before he died.Fortunately, Guan Ma came to relieve the siege.Guan Ma carried two pillows and a small dark red lacquered wooden toilet, while Mu Tian came upstairs with a roll of fine straw mats. Sang Xia went up to take the pillow from Guan Ma, stared at the small lacquered wooden toilet and asked, "What is this?" Guan Ma said: "Toilet, get up at night, so you don't have to run to the toilet." Sang Xia giggled: "You need to save a little effort? I don't need this." Wang Mutian had always been very obedient and didn't speak much. In front of Sang Xia, he seemed to have suffered from aphasia.But this situation was quickly broken, and when he was alone with Sang Xia, his aphasia recovered quickly.Zhu Yuqiong asked him to help tidy up Sang Xia's bedroom. Sang Xia came in with a pillow in her arms, and looked at the room full of old books.Books were piled up in a haphazard manner, and a small single bed was finally squeezed out of space, propped against the corner, and a round curtain was hung on the top.Wang Mutian was a little embarrassed. He was asked to do this matter before Sang Xia came, but he has been busy "anti-Japanese", so he gave up Xiaojia for the sake of the country. Sang Xia opened the curtains, pushed open the window, and Wang Mutian hugged the sheets and blankets and said, "That side faces west, and the sun will come in when the curtains are opened." Sang Xia said intoxicated, "Fresh air will also come in!" Sang Xia flipped through a stack of old books on the ground, and Wang Mutian suddenly felt inferior. He was eager to cut the connection between himself and this old family, and said bitterly, "Why do we keep a pile of junk in our house?" Sang Xia was a little puzzled: "Bad?" Wang Mutian said: "The Japanese bombed Jiangwan, and half of my father's old house was destroyed. At least five generations of people's things were transported here, and they were all piled up in this house. No one was in the mood to tidy up, and no one Dare to throw them away, so they are piled up as junk." "That should be an antique." Wang Mutian's expression was full of disdain: "To me, it is broken, rubbish, and decadent scum. This painting is from the Tang Dynasty, and that bottle is from the Song Dynasty. Is there any new invention? No. So it will be bombed by the Japanese. I I wish I could set them all on fire." Sang Xia smiled slightly: "So cynical?" As she spoke, she picked up a thread-bound book and read it roughly.From the open collar of her blouse, a gold necklace slipped out: a locket in the shape of a heart. Wang Mutian's gaze involuntarily slid into her neckline that was drooping because of bending over, and her heart beat faster. While having lunch in the living room downstairs, the third uncle met Sang Xia.The third uncle saw that the girl was pretty, with a carefree personality, as if she was born ignorant of restraint, and hugged him generously as soon as they met.She is very different from the Shanghai girl, both in her attire and temperament. He looked at this Nanyang girl calmly, and suddenly resisted. Although she was vivid, her arrival seemed abrupt and abrupt. He even There is a premonition that the peaceful life of the Wang family will no longer be peaceful because of her arrival. After lunch, the third uncle found an opportunity to drag Zhu Yuqiong to the corner of the stairs, intending to express his thoughts. The third uncle has always been deep and reserved, but he doesn't hide his thoughts in front of Zhu Yuqiong. He regards Zhu Yuqiong as his own.He is also an infatuated man. Originally, he fell in love with Zhu Yuqiong first, but in the end Zhu Yuqiong married his cousin Wang Shihui.At that time, Wang Shihui had just returned from the United States with a double doctorate, and Zhu Yuqiong married him.The infatuated third uncle never got married in his whole life. On the day of "August 13th", Wang Shihui passed away, and Zhu Yuqiong had been in mourning for three years. Now it is the second year. The third uncle's luck is coming, and Zhu Yuqiong finally waited. The third uncle glanced upstairs and downstairs, pulled Zhu Yuqiong up a few more steps, and whispered to Zhu Yuqiong mysteriously: "Let me ask you, you have never seen your niece before?" Zhu Yuqiong was immediately upset when she heard this, the third uncle was insulting her discernment.She shook off the third uncle and glared at him: "Pull me into a corner and ask this question?" After finishing speaking, she withdrew and walked upstairs to the living room. The third uncle still didn't give up, and followed Zhu Yuqiong to the small living room upstairs, walked to the coffee table, and stared at the family photo under the glass panel: "It doesn't look like it." Zhu Yuqiong glared at the third uncle: "What doesn't look like?" Uncle San pointed to Sang Xia in the photo: "That Xiaoxia, is this Xiaoxia?" Zhu Yuqiong snorted coldly: "There are spies running around outside, are you giving them spies sickness?" Uncle San insisted on his own thoughts and said, "I just think she doesn't look like you at all, and she doesn't look like the girl in the photo either." Zhu Yuqiong's eyes were as wide as eggs, and she said, "Women's college has changed and become more beautiful!" The third uncle said: "Every change is inseparable from its origin." Zhu Yuqiong shivered exaggeratedly: "Don't scare me, okay? It makes me feel chilly!" She walked to a cabinet, opened a drawer, and took out the sapphire in the box, "Here You see, the Thai sapphire my brother bought for me before his death, I took it to the Russian jewelry store in Joffre Road to ask them to set a necklace pendant, and they told me it was worth at least a few hundred dollars! No way Is it fake?" Seeing Zhu Yuqiong's happy face like a demonstration, the third uncle had nothing to say. This woman will never grow up, and a sapphire easily dismissed her. Wang Duoying hurried out early in the morning to date Hong Wangnan, the two of them were like a secret agent meeting, but Wang Duoying didn't care, anyway, it was better to have Hong Wangnan by his side.The two were sitting under a pergola facing Pudong in the Bund Park. Not far away, an orchestra from the Ministry of Industry and Commerce was playing Strauss' Foxtrot. Wang Duoying kept holding Hong Wangnan's hand, reluctant to let go, the sweetness could not be hidden on her face.Hong Wangnan seemed preoccupied: "Now that the factory has just been built, the workers don't have a place to live yet, and they all live in tents." Wang Duoying's voice was full of dreams: "That's so romantic, live in a tent, light a bonfire, by the way, I can cook for you on the bonfire... I learned how to cook beggar chicken from Guan Ma, as long as there are muddled lotus Ye, just wrap the chicken in it and throw it into the bonfire to burn!" Hong Wangnan smiled wryly: "It's not romantic at all, we don't have lotus leaves there." Wang Duoying didn't take it seriously: "It can be cooked without lotus leaves! As long as there is mud and salt, the chicken will be the same!" "However, the salt we eat has to be transported from far away. So each person only has two taels of salt per month." Wang Duoying was a little surprised: "Really? Then use soy sauce instead." Hong Wangnan spread his hands and said helplessly, "There's no more soy sauce!" Wang Duoying was stunned. Hong Wangnan's living conditions were so bad, which she couldn't imagine. She couldn't help feeling a little sad, and said after a long time: "Forget it, beggars can't do it." She stood up and walked along the tree-lined path. Walk forward slowly. Hong Wangnan followed, looked at her thin back, and smiled lovingly: "Then you still go to the mainland with me?" Wang Duoying turned her head to look at Hong Wangnan, and said softly but firmly: "Go. I don't want to stay in Shanghai. My classmates have all moved with the school." Her eyes were full of hope again, "Now They must be in class, singing, playing ball, rehearsing, maybe living in a tent..." Hong Wangnan smiled: "Living in a tent is not as romantic as you think. When the mosquitoes come at night, they are like a black fog, and the sound is like a swarm of pocket bombers. The next morning..." He gestured exaggeratedly with his hands, "The head is so big and the skin is so thick, I can't even open my eyes!" "why?" "It's swollen from mosquito bites!" Hong Wangnan took out some photos from his pocket. The pictures showed a tropical wasteland with several tents erected, which seemed to be floating on the rich grass. Wang Duoying was a little surprised: "What kind of place is this?" Hong Wangnan's expression became serious: "I can only tell you that this is a highly confidential place, and the Japanese are also looking for it. Because it is our only aircraft factory in China." "It's far from Shanghai, isn't it?" Hong Wangnan nodded, pointed to the last tent and said, "I live in this tent with seven other engineers." Wang Duoying stared at the living environment like no man's land, and became serious. Hong Wangnan said, "Do you still want to come with me?" Wang Duoying bit her lip: "I think so." Hong Wangnan was moved, and put his arms around her shoulders lightly: "I'll try to take you over when the superior approves bringing the dependents." Wang Duoying nodded vigorously: "I'll wait for you." In the afternoon, Ji Jiaming took Hong Wangnan and Wang Duoying to a place called Sena Apartment.Opening the door, the apartment was simple but upscale. Wang Duoying turned east and west in the room. There was a living room, a bedroom, and a bathroom. She liked it from the bottom of her heart. Ji Jiaming asked Hong Wangnan: "Are you satisfied?" Hong Wangnan asked Wang Duoying for his opinion: "Are you satisfied?" The girl's mind seemed to be seen through, Wang Duoying blushed again: "It's not that I live here, what's the use of being satisfied?" Both Ji Jiaming and Hong Wangnan laughed.Ji Jiaming's smile was a bit fake, he looked at Hong Wangnan with a hint of worry.Hong Wangnan understood, and said to Wang Duoying: "Now you know where I live, so you have to keep it a secret for me." Wang Duoying said seriously: "I know." Hong Wangnan emphasized: "Even my mother can't tell." Wang Duoying nodded vigorously: "Yes." Ji Jiaming spoke on the side: "Miss Wang, we are asking our boss for instructions. If the boss agrees to Mr. Hong's meeting with his family, of course it will be fine. But now the work has just started, the smaller the goal, the better. The Japanese and Wang pseudo-spies are very active. They want to get information from Mr. Hong about the Central Aircraft Manufacturing Plant and the technical information about the aircraft that the United States will put into production in this factory. They already know that Mr. Hong has arrived in Shanghai, and once they find him, there will be endless troubles." Wang Duoying looked at Ji Jiaming with a serious expression, then turned to look at Hong Wangnan, realizing that her fiancé was such an important role, "If they catch Wang Nan, what will happen to him?" Hong Wangnan stopped Ji Jiaming, who was about to speak, with winks. He didn't want to worry Wang Duoying, so he took Wang Duoying's hand and found that her palm was full of sweat. With a movement in his heart, he pretended to comfort her easily: "Don't be afraid, They won't catch me." Seeing Sang Xia for the first time was a big surprise for Wang Mutian. After lunch, he didn't plan to go out to play with his friends, but walked around the house pretending to be deep, hoping to attract Sang Xia's attention.In the afternoon, Sang Xia gave him another surprise, and he immediately had the opportunity to be courteous. He did not expect that that afternoon was the beginning of his real participation in the Anti-Japanese War, which was a dramatic beginning. Guan Ma asked Sang Xia to answer the phone. From Sang Xia's conversation, Wang Mutian heard that it was Sang Xia's classmate who called. Sang Xia brought something from Nanyang to her classmate and wanted to give it to her classmate.She came out of the study with a big rattan box, and Zhu Yuqiong, who was whispering to Uncle Three on the balcony, saw her and asked her where she was going, she smiled and said: "The things my friend asked me to bring, give them to others. " Zhu Yuqiong exclaimed in surprise: "Bring so many things? What kind of friend is this, so kind!" Sang Xia put the box on the ground and explained: "A very good classmate, his father and my father are old friends." The third uncle came up to help Sang Xia carry the suitcase, but Sang Xia declined the third uncle's kindness and said, "I asked Ah Mu to go with me." Wang Mutian was really looking forward to it, so he ran over happily, but Sang Xia said, "You can just give me a ride. I don't know the place, so I might get lost when I go out. That gentleman is outside the telephone booth at the entrance of Qingfengli alley. Wait, you ask him your name, if he says his surname is He and lives in Xiaobeimen, he will give the things to this Mr. He." Wang Mutian was very motivated: "Okay! Qingfengli is in the alley next to my house." He was just about to leave with the suitcase when Sang Xia stopped him. "Hey, wait a minute. After handing over the box to him, you must ask him to print a receipt and bring it back to me. This is a trustee's errand, and the handover must be clear." Wang Mutian smiled disapprovingly, entrusting such a small matter so solemnly, it is inevitable that he is underestimating him.He carried the rattan box and quickly came to the entrance of Qingfengli alley, and walked towards the telephone booth. Looking around, a middle-aged man came out of the alley and walked towards the telephone booth.Wang Mutian stared at his face, the man stared at him inexplicably: "What are you doing here?" Wang Mutian asked in a daze, "What's your name, sir?" The middle-aged man said angrily: "You care about my last name? Stand away!" Wang Mutian was angry: "Why do you ask me to stand far away?" The middle-aged man was annoyed: "You don't even know this? Because I want to make a phone call!" Not far from the phone booth, a man in a double-breasted short-sleeved jacket was sitting at a stall selling herbal tea, fanning himself with a straw hat.He had been observing Wang Mutian, and when he saw Wang Mutian's distraught appearance, he stood up from the long bench, put the straw hat on his head, walked quickly to Wang Mutian, and said hello, "Are you here to deliver something to Mr. He?" ?” Wang Mutian looked at the man in front of him and was stunned. He was the male dancer who saved him that night!Wang Mutian was a little excited. This young man looked lively and friendly, like a big brother next door, and he was completely different from the lone ranger who flew over the roof and wall that night.He swallowed a mouthful of saliva and asked, "What's your name, sir?" The man said softly, "I'm here to fetch something for Mr. He." "I will only give the box to Mr. He." "Mr. He has something to do temporarily, so he asked me to fetch it for him." "Where does Mr. He live?" "Live at Xiaobeimen." Wang Mutian put the box on the ground.The young man picked up the suitcase, thanked him and turned to leave when a rickshaw approached him, and he stopped it.Wang Mutian suddenly remembered something, and hurriedly shouted: "Wait a minute!" The young man turned around and watched Wang Mutian running up. Wang Mutian said honestly: "I'm sorry, my cousin asked sir to receive the receipt." There was a smile of approval in the young man's eyes, but his face remained calm: "The things have to be inspected by Mr. He before the receipt can be issued." Wang Mutian was in a hurry: "My cousin said, I must get a receipt!" The young man said flatly, "The receipt will definitely be delivered tomorrow." Wang Mutian shot out coldly and grabbed the handle of the box: "Then you bring the receipt tomorrow, and come to pick up things again!" The young man also grabbed the handle of the box and smiled slightly: "How can I issue a receipt if I don't check things?" Wang Mutian didn't let go: "Then you open the box and check it now." The two stalemate for a long time, and the young man finally let go and said, "Okay, let's get in the car." Wang Mutian didn't know, so he asked, "Where are you going?" The young man smiled and said, "Follow me for the receipt." Wang Mutian's heart skipped a beat, and he jumped into the car.On the way, I ran into my sister Wang Duoying who happened to be coming back in a rickshaw. Wang Duoying called him, but he didn't bother to respond.Instead, the young man looked at Wang Duoying carefully for a while. The young man brought Wang Mutian to the upstairs seating of a teahouse. He turned his back and closed the lid of the rattan box.The metallic sound of the bolt snapping made Wang Mutian slightly blink his eyelids. The young man then turned to Wang Mutian, picked up the teapot and poured a cup of tea into each of their cups, Wang Mutian put on airs: "Thank you, but I have to go right away, my cousin is at home waiting for the receipt." The young man smiled and said, "Aren't you busy distributing leaflets and posting cartoons outside?" Wang Mutian was a little disgusted by the teasing in his tone, and his expression seemed very mysterious, "You must be thinking hard now, guessing Who am I and what is my relationship with your cousin." Wang Mutian turned his head away: "I have no guess." The young man took a sip of tea, and said slowly, "Actually, your cousin doesn't know who I am." He looked into Wang Mutian's eyes, "Don't you believe it?... If you don't believe it, forget it. Come on, I'll open it for you." Strip." As he spoke, he took out a fountain pen from his body. Wang Mutian: "I believe it." This time the young man was surprised. Wang Mutian made an adult tone: "I believe in the Communist Party." The young man looked at Wang Mutian expressionlessly, and suddenly struck out like lightning, grabbing Wang Mutian's jacket collar: "Do you believe in the Communist Party?" He looked very cold at the moment, although Wang Mutian pretended to be calm on the surface, he couldn't help feeling regretful and fear. The young man grabbed Wang Mutian by the collar, lifted him from the chair, and pushed him to the corner: "I'm asking you something!" Wang Mutian was silent, and he really didn't know how to answer. The young man's eyes were like knives, and he said in a low voice, "Based on what you just said, I can send you to the police station." With a force in his hand, Wang Mutian's collar was tightened even more. Wang Mutian's face flushed red, irritated by the feeling of being humiliated: "I misread you!" The young man sneered: "What did you see wrong?" Wang Mutian was almost out of breath: "You are not the Communist Party..." The young man worked harder: "Why?" "Because...the Communist Party relies on the masses, loves the people, and will not treat progressive youth like you..." The young man snorted: "Come on, let's go to the patrol room." He grabbed Wang Mutian, turned around, and walked towards the door of the private room. Wang Mutian has not forgotten his mission at this juncture: "Don't forget to send the receipt to my house. My cousin is waiting." The young man was amused all of a sudden: "Okay, good boy. It seems that he is not just spreading leaflets and posting cartoons, but also has a little faith." He let go, and Wang Mutian was so suffocated that tears almost flowed out.He took a deep breath, resisting the discomfort in his throat and the humiliation of being teased, and asked, "Can you issue a receipt?" He glanced at the note and remembered that this man's name was He Xiaohui. On the way home, he kept reminiscing about the situation just now, and then he let out a sigh of relief, and was a little ashamed, because his childish behavior was too embarrassing. But he didn't expect that there was another fatal thing waiting for him: his stealing of gold bars was exposed. Zhu Yuqiong originally planned to give the gold bars to Jingcheng Bank for speculative business, but when he dug up the flowerpot on the balcony, he found that one of the six gold bars was missing.Zhu Yuqiong also knows how to analyze. If it's a thief outside, he won't just steal one, then he can only be a house thief, and the house thief can only be her precious son!当即就掉下眼泪来：“养出这种混账儿子，拿了那根条子，不是送到赌场里了就是糟蹋在哪个窑子里了！” 三伯伯嘘了一声，提醒朱玉琼：“你可别让人家听到了……再说，也不一定就是阿沐……” 王多颖从楼梯上来，听到楼上客厅母亲压抑的抽泣，轻手轻脚地凑到虚掩的门口。 王沐天全然忘了这档子事，他的脑袋瓜里装的全是抗日、共产党之类的问号。当然最重要的，还有他神秘的表姐桑霞。他一时半会儿还搞不明白这个表姐到底是干什么的。 正在屋内弹钢琴的王多颖一直悄悄地观察窗外，看到弟弟回来，赶紧打开窗户，探出半边身子，猛打手势，让王沐天转身快跑。 王沐天感到莫名其妙，这是我家啊，我干吗要跑呢？ 王多颖用两只手做成小喇叭状：“你做的坏事姆妈知道了！” 王沐天哼了一声：“我能做什么坏事？” 王多颖瞪他：“你就等着吃生活吧。”说着指了指阳台上的花盆。 王沐天恍然大悟，暗叫一声不好，转身撒腿便跑。 朱玉琼和女眷们正在打麻将，她对面坐的是洪太太孙碧凝，左边坐的是三伯伯。孙碧凝无意间回头，看见楼下院子里正向大门口跑去的王沐天：“哎，阿沐刚回来，怎么又要出去？” 朱玉琼一听便扭过头，正好看见王沐天溜出铁栅栏大门。她站起身就往客厅门口走。三伯伯看着她：“玉琼你去哪里？” 朱玉琼回过头：“三哥，你跟我一道来！”旋风一般冲下楼，撑着一把洋伞，趿拉着拖鞋，小跑到门外街道。 王沐天看到母亲从后面追来，又加快了脚步。朱玉琼威胁说：“你马上给我停住，不然我钻到汽车轮子下面去！” 王沐天不回头地往前跑，跟母亲的距离迅速拉开，眼看要跑上大马路。 朱玉琼的拖鞋跑掉了一只。她停下扶着墙，剧烈地喘息，突然“哎哟”一声，往地上坐去。 王沐天听见母亲的喊声，回过头，朱玉琼已经倒下去了。他有些疑惑，转回身试探着往母亲身边靠近，走了两步，看见母亲的花洋伞滚到了街道上，一飘一飘的，一辆轿车疾驶过来，撞在洋伞上，伞变形了。他紧张了，飞奔回来，抱住母亲，晃了晃：“姆妈！” 朱玉琼一反手，抓住王沐天的胳膊，“我不是你姆妈！我要是你姆妈，你会偷我东西吗？我要是你姆妈，你逃什么逃？” 王沐天还是败给了朱玉琼，被关在王多颖隔壁的客房，在王沐天看来，那是个堆破烂的地方，他死活不愿意进去，但三伯伯心平气和说了句“阿沐，进去吧”，他便像听到一声命令一样挨进门去了。 这一幕被在浴室洗刷的桑霞从锁孔里看到了，她明显感觉到三伯伯在王家的威望。 朱玉琼走进王沐天的卧室，气呼呼地四处张望：一幅画架上搁着的未完成的写生，四壁挂着素描、速写、油画，整个房间凌乱不堪。她拉开书桌的抽屉，满抽屉的纸张、杂物几乎要漫出来。她翻检了一下，拿起一个笔记本，打开阅读，心浮气躁，似乎一时读不出什么名堂。 孙碧凝走到门口，轻轻敲了敲半开的门扉。朱玉琼马上把笔记本放回抽屉，又把抽屉关上。 孙碧凝好奇地打探：“到底怎么了？” 朱玉琼犹豫了一下，转过身，微微一笑：“女孩子长大了，爹娘为她担心；男孩子大了呢，爹娘担心别人，怕他在外面欺负别人家的女儿。” 孙碧凝说：“我才不为人家的女儿担心。我要是有个女儿跟阿沐年纪相当，我一定是跟你亲上加亲，喜上加喜，做双重亲家！” 朱玉琼埋怨说：“阿沐就是你宠出来的！” 孙碧凝笑嘻嘻地说：“好像你不宠他？我儿子快三十了，又不在眼前，想宠也不得，总要有个孩子给我宠一宠吧？” “宠得他出去轧坏道，你就开心了！” 孙碧凝越发好奇：“出去轧什么坏道了？” 朱玉琼刚要说什么，却又改口：“没轧坏道，反正也没轧什么好道。拿家里的钱到外面去花，花起来比他爷爷、比他爸爸还要阔气！” 孙碧凝心里惊动了，表面还是淡定地微笑：“现在我们这个岁数，还有什么大开销？想开点吧！留两个小钱，打打小麻将就够了，钱还不都是给他们年轻人花？就是现在不给他们，将来连房子带地皮，不都是他们的？” 朱玉琼说：“现在不帮他们捏紧点，以后他们还有什么房子地皮？” 孙碧凝突然咯咯地笑起来：“笑死人了！玉琼啊，你四十五岁总算念起铜钱经了！你们王家、朱家两份大家底，还能让阿沐一个小鬼头花穷了？” 朱玉琼本来就是憋不住事的人，干脆摊牌了：“老话说，一座金山都能吃空，何况朱家王家加在一块儿也没有一座金山啊。家里是存了点金子，我说出来不怕你笑话，他是一整条一整条金子从家里拿出去花！十七岁的孩子，没轧坏道，怎么能花那么多钱？” 孙碧凝猛然恍悟，心里大大震惊，原来王沐天前两天向她借金条是为这个。她看了一眼未来的亲家，有心想说，最终还是沉默了。 失去自由的王沐天颇感百无聊赖，忽然听到一个女子浑厚的嗓音在哼英文歌曲，是非常独特的音色，纯正的英文发音。他被歌声吸引了：那是一个自由的灵魂才能发出的声音。 为了表示对自由灵魂的尊重，王沐天从房门上的透气窗很自由地爬了出去，门锁对于他来说形同虚设，根本难不住他。他把脸上的汗水在衬衫肩膀上胡乱一擦，顺着歌声来到浴室门口。 看到刻花玻璃门的上方碎裂了一块，他踮起脚尖，眼睛够不着那个高度，回头看到一个小竹凳，便搬过来踮起脚尖。脚下的小竹凳子发出不堪重负的抖颤，摇摇欲坠，凳子腿也变形了。 王沐天的瞳孔收缩了。他看到穿着胸罩和三角裤的桑霞一边哼着歌一边猛力攻击墙上的霉斑苔藓，整个后背上都是亮晶晶的汗珠。她似乎非常享受这份劳动，放下拿鬃刷的手，退后几步，拎起一个小桶，哗啦一下把桶里的清水泼上去，肮脏的肥皂沫被冲走，露出一块块瓷砖原有的洁白晶莹。 她满足地一笑，抬起手臂擦了一把脸颊上和脖子上的汗水。 王沐天看到一个日晒色的女性身体的各个局部：肩膀、手臂、脊梁、腰肢……每个局部都汗水淋漓，如同涂了一层油一般发亮，又像是会动的金属塑像。由于日晒色和汗水，这个女性躯体显得无比健康和青春，充满力量，不像王多颖这样的上海姑娘那样细弱纤柔。这是一个完整的人体，比例、形态和肤色接近完美，他被这种不熟悉的美丽惊呆了。 三伯伯从楼梯口走出来，看见了灵魂出窍的王沐天，却并不惊动他，轻手轻脚地走到王沐天身边，低声说：“午安，先生。” 王沐天正看得陶醉上瘾，被三伯伯一句轻声招呼吓得从竹凳上跌下来。小竹凳子在刹那间散架。 浴室里哼唱的歌戛然而止，桑霞的声音从浴室传来：“谁？” 三伯伯把王沐天拉起来，这个时候，浴室的门已经打开，身上裹着鲜艳海滨浴巾的桑霞出现在门口。她那种机敏和迅捷不是一般人可以达到的。她一眼看到门口散了架的小竹凳子，什么都明白了。 三伯伯镇定地说：“阿沐在修电灯，摔了一跤。” 桑霞微微皱了一下眉头：“没摔伤吧，阿沐？” 王沐天无地自容地耷拉着脑袋，使劲摇头。倒是桑霞对自己裸露的一部分胸脯和肩膀，以及大腿十分坦荡，笑着说：“阿沐你当心点啊。”又把眼光转向三伯伯，“我在刷洗浴室。多好的浴室，至少十年没人刷过它。” 三伯伯赞许地点点头，转身：“你继续洗吧。”扯起王沐天的胳膊，“阿沐，跟我来。” 王沐天逃一样地随三伯伯离开，三伯伯扯着王沐天到了楼下大客厅。他坐在大圆桌一头，王沐天坐在另一头，遥遥相望，他问王沐天：“想好了吗？” 王沐天：“想好什么？” 三伯伯平静地看着王沐天：“你到底把金条拿出去做什么了？” 王沐天不语。 三伯伯接着说：“你知道那一根条子值多少钱吗？……那么一根，就是一个五口之家半年的伙食钱。” 王沐天还是不语。 朱玉琼匆匆忙忙走进了客厅，看到三伯伯和王沐天，心放下了，埋怨三伯伯：“你怎么不跟我打个招呼，就把他放出来了？他再跑出去轧坏道怎么办？” 王沐天终于说话了，显得很不服气：“我轧什么坏道了？” 朱玉琼气呼呼地点着王沐天的脑门儿：“那你把家里的钱偷出去那么多，做什么去了？除了窑子、赌场、大烟馆，哪里用得掉那么多钱？” 王沐天继续抵抗：“我什么时候偷你的钱了？” 朱玉琼声音有些发抖：“你没有偷我的钱，你偷的是你自己的钱，晓得吗？你现在吃的，穿的，用的，还有你上大学的学费，都靠那几根条子！从现在到你成家立业，找到饭碗之前，全都要靠那几根条子！你偷掉的是你一年的饭钱！你们以为我一个寡妇顶着这么一个大家，好玩是吗？” 朱玉琼还没说完就“哇”的一声哭起来，哭得像个孩子。 三伯伯不动声色地掏出自己洁白的、折叠得方方正正的手绢，递给朱玉琼。 朱玉琼抹了把眼泪，继续质问王沐天：“你说啊，你是不是用那根条子去做坏事去了？” 王沐天一听这话又来劲了，叫喊着往门口走：“我没有做坏事！我做的都是好事！” 朱玉琼冲到王沐天面前，拦住他：“你做了什么好事，说出来我听听！是不是吃喝嫖赌那种好事！” 一直在门厅偷听的王多颖及时地插在母亲和弟弟中间：“阿沐不是拿钱去轧坏道的，他用钱去抗日了！” 听到这，朱玉琼更是五雷轰顶，她刚才的力气全没了，连眼泪都没了。 三伯伯迅速关上客厅的门，扫视着在场所有人，低声而又严肃地说：“阿颖，这种话不可以瞎说！万一佣人听见，传出去，都要给日本人捉进去坐牢杀头的！” 朱玉琼无力地坐在椅子上。一直温和的三伯伯，此刻显得异常严厉：“阿沐，你娘问你话呢。你姐姐刚才说的，是不是真的？” 王沐天继续以沉默抗拒。 朱玉琼又绝望地哭起来：“你不要命了？你知道那有多危险吗？日本人杀人比割草还容易，1937年从上海到南京，一路杀过去，杀了几十万人，你不是不晓得……你这个小冤家要害死我们啊？” 洗得焕然一新的桑霞，一边梳头，一边走出浴室。躲在厨房门口偷听的佣人们，听到桑霞的脚步刹那间散开。桑霞正要上楼梯，听见大客厅里传出的朱玉琼的哭声，站住了。 王多颖劝慰母亲：“你们不用担心，也不要怕，阿沐他们那种抗日没什么危险的，就是跟日本人捣捣蛋，捉捉迷藏，要不就是到法国公墓的花园里开开会……” 三伯伯警惕地说：“开什么会？日本人对聚会的人都要抓的！” 王沐天对王多颖的描述很不满意，他感觉到自己被羞辱了：“你懂什么？胡说八道！” 王多颖揶揄王沐天：“是的呀，我亲眼看见的！他们几个人在公墓的花园里开会，也没什么危险，开会也就是吃几听罐头，喝几瓶汽水，就完了。” 客厅门外偷听的桑霞听到王多颖的解释，几乎笑出声来。 王沐天愤怒地瞪着姐姐：“你把我们的行动理解得这么幼稚可笑，庸俗不堪！” 王多颖不以为然：“这还用理解？本来就幼稚可笑。” 王沐天这下找到了发泄的靶子：“你也算个年轻人，麻木不仁的亡国奴，活着还不如一条虫呢！就跟这个家一样，到处都蛀满了虫！” 三伯伯脸色沉了下来：“放肆，怎么跟你姐姐说话的？” 王多颖被弟弟激怒了：“你以为就你抗日？你们那种小儿游戏就叫抗日？你懂得真的抗日是什么样子吗？连飞机大炮都不碰，还抗日呢！你会造飞机吗？你知道望楠为了抗日，有家都不能回吗？” 三伯伯盯着王多颖激动得一挥一挥的手臂——手腕上，一块极小的手表，这是个陌生东西。他轻咳一声：“好了，阿颖，隔墙有耳。” 朱玉琼感到惊讶：“阿颖……望楠回上海了？” 王多颖一个哆嗦，方才意识到自己的失口，赶紧转移话题：“反正你们没必要为阿沐担心，吃两听罐头，喝几瓶汽水，会有什么危险？” 王沐天吼起来：“吃罐头怎么了？吃罐头就不能抗日？” 朱玉琼又想起她的金条了：“那也不对呀！就算你这两天天天吃罐头，喝汽水，还能吃掉我一根金条？” 王沐天一跺脚：“谁吃掉你一根金条了？”愤愤地推开姐姐，走向楼梯口，奔了上去。 桑霞看着他奔上楼梯，随后跟上。 王沐天冲进书房，从一个书架的顶上摸出孙碧凝借给他的金条，外面包着孙碧凝的一块旧的绣花手绢。他把金条塞进裤兜，转过身，发现桑霞站在他身后，微笑着看着他，他不禁一愣。 桑霞说：“现在这里是我的卧室，你应该得到我的同意才能进来。” 王沐天垂下头：“对不起。” 桑霞瞟了一眼王沐天的裤兜，问：“你刚才拿的是什么？” 王沐天看着她，不回答。 桑霞忽然轻声说：“那根金条要是换成钱，用去买枪，可以武装一支小队伍了。” 王沐天惊讶地看着桑霞，从她身边走过去，他感觉到她的目光像个钉子一样盯在他脊背上，快要将他穿透。