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Chapter 7 Chapter Seven A Gentleman Can Be Deceived

Charming Grass 龙一 17909Words 2018-03-18
Regarding the situation on the night of the illness, Zhu Jun did not hide from Meimei. She told almost all the facts without emotion, but deliberately omitted a small detail, which was the song "Love me tender" sung by Kagawa.But this does not hinder her honesty, on the contrary, it takes care of Meimei's emotions, because no woman would like the man she loves to sing this song to other women. As for what happened on the last night, she could only treat it as an accident, and there was no other way out. Therefore, when Meimei asked about the situation of that night, she couldn't help herself as if she had been thrown into a whirlpool. Because Meimei is her most cherished friend, she cannot and has no right to hurt her.

"It's a small gift, and there's nothing particularly good over there." Meimei handed her a small box with exquisite packaging. "Why do you bother?" Mr. Zhu was a little uneasy.Among friends, gifts can not only show goodwill, but also often appear as a prelude to a difficult situation. Opening the package revealed a bottle of Hermès' "Chariot" perfume. "It's an extravagant gift," she said. In her life, although fine taste is what she loves, at her income level, even when she is in a daze, she has only bought a 50ml bottle of "Suburb 24th Street" by Hermès. ", compared with the classic "Four-Wheeled Carriage" in the history of perfume, it is not the same.

Meimei said: "For you, such a thing can only be regarded as a small gift, you don't even know how much you have helped me." "That's nothing at all." She felt a little panicked, hoping to end the conversation immediately. "Besides Xiangxiang, you are my favorite." Meimei's words were airtight. "But there's no need to give such an expensive thing, you'll spoil me." "This is when I was trying on wedding dresses at a Japanese place. Someone sent them a sample. I immediately thought of you, so I bought a bottle. If it wasn't such a coincidence, it would have been a waste of time to go all the way to find their specialty store. "

"But who is worthy of my use of this bottle of perfume?" Mr. Zhu regretted that he had spoken out loud. Meimei seemed to be immersed in the fun of friendship, and did not notice Mr. Zhu's slip of the tongue, she said: "You haven't seen my wedding dress yet, have you? Come over tomorrow night, and I'll put it on for you to see." Next, she began to describe in detail the Japanese design concept of the wedding dress and the information to be conveyed to the audience, and then described various details of the wedding dress and the effect of trying it on. This was originally a rare break between the two interrogations, but Mr. Zhu couldn't relax. The more Meimei chatted about irrelevant things and the longer it dragged on, the more restless her mood became, and she lost control. A set of rhetoric has also become a pile of gibberish at this moment, and has no narrative value anymore.

"Xiangxiang also said that this wedding dress was chosen with taste, and it looked noble and generous on me. This guy, it's rare for him to praise me so much." Meimei was in a good mood at this time, and just now she talked about Xiangchuan's distress when she rejected her marriage proposal. was also swept away. Zhu Jun had no choice but to say: "As long as it is a wedding dress, it is good, especially if it is worn by a bride." "You don't have to worry about me, I will definitely be able to wear it before this summer." "It's just that if there are any twists and turns in the process, you must be strong, tolerant, and keep him. You know, finding a good man is much more difficult than making a fortune." For Mr. Zhu, these The words are stuck in her throat, and she must tell her friends, even if it leads to disaster.

"What twists and turns can there be?" Meimei stopped her gaze on Mr. Zhu's face, waiting patiently for an answer. Zhu Jun said: "The world is unpredictable, we can't even say what will happen tomorrow, let alone there are still several months before summer." Meimei suddenly changed into a grinning face, and asked: "So, will you also wear a wedding dress before summer?" "I still say that, the world is unpredictable, who can guarantee that I won't run into my groom when I go out in a while?" "You will. A lovely girl like you, if I were a man, I would have taken you home as my wife long ago, and I don't need to wait for those blind men to discover your treasure!"

Mr. Zhu knew that Meimei was making fun of her, but she still felt sad about it, and said: "There is no man in the world who can understand me as well as you do." "so?" "So, if I get married, it must be like buying a lottery ticket. I know that there is no possibility of winning the jackpot, but I still have a fluke mentality." She unconsciously turned Kagawa's pessimism into her own point of view, which made her She was taken aback. Meimei said again: "Xiangxiang doesn't have a brother either. I wonder if he has any classmates who are similar to him that he can introduce to you. If there are, we can hold a group wedding."

"Yeah, if there is a suitable person, you can ask him to introduce me." She thought that this answer was appropriate, and it also set the tone for her to welcome Meimei's interrogation on the last night. Before meeting Meimei at the airport that day, she realized that there was no escape from this interrogation.There is nothing Meimei dare not say or do in her life, she will never be shy because her lover is involved, and she will never be in the way because Mr. Zhu is her friend. For the whole afternoon, she was like a prisoner pending execution, waiting for Meimei to ask about the situation of the last night.This is fate, it is her inescapable and inescapable disaster. Even so, she can clearly realize that once the truth is revealed, it will not be her or her accomplice who will be hurt the most, but the one who will suffer the most at this moment. Beauty full of joy.

She thought that nothing could hurt someone like Kagawa, who was too sober and sophisticated in his approach to life to be slick and cynical.However, it is also this kind of freedom and ease that everything in the world is insignificant to him that makes him possess a rare charm that cannot survive in ordinary people, and she is charmed by this kind of attraction, so she will be in the Something incredible happened to her. As for herself, the disclosure of the matter can only have one result, that is, Meimei breaks off with her.Although this kind of injury is not explosive, the damage and impact it causes are far-reaching and indelible, because Meimei is the only friend in her life, and others can only be regarded as acquaintances at best.

In her life, she would never have a chance to make friends like Meimei, because all the conditions that could make such a friendship have disappeared with the passage of time. So, after breaking up with Meimei, she immediately called Kagawa—protecting Meimei, maybe the only thing she can do now, even though she just cheated on her. "But who is worth my perfume?" Hearing Mr. Zhu's involuntary sigh, Meimei felt a burning pain in her heart.As a woman, she can enjoy the comfort and happiness that Kagawa brings her, but Mr. Zhu has to struggle hard between "sexual metaphysics" and natural love, which makes her almost overwhelmed by great sympathy for a while, So much so that I gave up the purpose of meeting Mr. Zhu today.

But she can't, and she knows she won't. Emotions are one thing, and the truth of the matter is another. She will never allow conflict and confusion between the two different natures of problems that have happened to her. . Meimei is fully prepared for the difficulties that may be encountered in finding out the truth.Mr. Zhu has known her for more than twenty years, and although he has never lied to her, that doesn't mean she won't lie to her today.Even parents, brothers, and sisters will lie once people do things that hurt each other, let alone friends? She thought that if what Zhu-kun said just now was to be believed, then she must have been fascinated by Kagawa that night when her stomach ulcer broke out.When women interact with Kagawa, they often have the feeling of falling into the fog, and they will be moved, confused, and aroused by some of his small actions or words without knowing it.He is like a tropical fruit. When you first see him, the first thing you see is the dazzling color of the peel, and the flesh you try later is indeed sweet and pleasant. Therefore, women are very interested in this early stage of him. The superficial understanding has created a great temptation for them. Mr. Zhu must have been tempted at this stage. Xiangchuan was very familiar with performing this kind of kung fu. This time, he can spend a whole night with Mr. Zhu, and the time is obviously enough. Therefore, this is too dangerous for Mr. Zhu.Zhu-kun is a child with a sense of morality, not to mention letting her have an affair with a friend's lover, even if she fell in love with Kagawa in private, it would be a great pain to her, an undeserved catastrophe. For this reason, Meimei blamed herself a little bit, she shouldn't leave the care of Xiangchuan to such a girl without love, Xiangchuan is not the kind of man she can handle. Meimei can make such a judgment on what happened, which has her own reasons and true personal experience. Even if she will not admit this to anyone, she has to be frank when facing herself She admitted that after she experienced the same process of being seduced, she developed an irrational and crazy love for Li Xiangchuan. When they met in the mountains for the first time, she had been hungry for a whole day, so she ate all the food that Kagawa could satisfy her hunger, but she didn't know at the time that this was Kagawa's last food, and she even had some contempt for Kagawa in her heart stingy. "If a big man can't make a woman full, he must be a useless person." She had to play a slightly jerk role for the sake of her still hungry stomach. However, Xiangchuan smiled and said: "If I have a wife and children, it is indeed my duty to let them eat and drink well. This is also a great opportunity to display my talents as a man. However, for the women I meet in the mountains, even if She looks like the Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva in the statues of the Shabei Wei Dynasty, and she is still a stranger. It is already an immeasurable merit to keep her from starving to death, and it is comparable to my Buddha's "cutting meat to feed eagles." Meimei rose up and retorted: "I don't understand Buddhist allusions, but I know that there is such a thing in human beings, which is called 'fraternity'. Therefore, helping the poor has become a fundamental feature that distinguishes human beings from animals. If you connect this If you can’t do it at all, it’s quite different from humans.” "However, there is no free breakfast in the world, and the food is not brought by the wind..." Kagawa was not angry because of her bad words, and still had a smile on his face. "I can give you money." Meimei said disdainfully. "This is the ignorance of modern people. You have to understand that under certain conditions, money is not as meaningful as toilet paper." Xiangchuan leaned leisurely on his sleeping bag, smoking her thin cigarette, like a self-confident Defendants who have the means to escape punishment. Meimei was irritated and couldn't help but said loudly: "Then what do you want to do?" "Let's go to sleep!" "dream!" "Did you misunderstand? I mean, let's go to bed early, so that we won't be able to sleep if we get hungry later." Kagawa said and got into his sleeping bag. Meimei walked around the fire a few times angrily, and finally stopped in front of Xiangchuan, saying: "I have to eat now, I can't sleep without a full meal." Kagawa stuck his head out of the sleeping bag, his mouth was wet with foam, as if he had just drank milk tea.He said: "There is the most primitive way to resist hunger, do you want to learn it?" "Say!" Meimei didn't give him a good tone at that time. "You should say something polite, or have a nice voice, that's the reason to ask people for advice." "what is it call?" "Don't be nervous, who do you think I am, and will it harm you?" "What the hell is going on?" "You should call uncle first!" At that time Meimei really wanted to kick him, but after all, she just met him, she was a little embarrassed, so she ignored him, turned around and shook off Xiangchuan's backpack, and looked for food by herself. After several months, Meimei realized that the first time she was moved by Kagawa was at this time.She found that there was only a small can of tea and a can of coffee left in Kagawa's rucksack, not even a cube of sugar. "Why didn't you say it earlier?" She apologized for her gaffe just now. But Xiangchuan didn't say anything else, he climbed out of his sleeping bag, limped to the creek not far away, and soon brought back two bowls of pebbles, and added some dead branches to the dying fire , and then pressed down with pebbles, and then returned to his own sleeping bag. After a while, he stuck his head out of the sleeping bag again, and said to Meimei who was lying on the other side of the fire, "Do you want me to teach you the way to resist hunger." "What method?" After Meimei's anger subsided, her curiosity increased greatly. When she saw Kagawa beckoning to her, putting her thumb in her mouth to suck, she was aroused and laughed heartily, and the unhappiness and apology just now disappeared without a trace. However, according to her analysis afterwards, what made her really interested and curious about Kagawa that day was something else. In the middle of the night, the dew fell and condensed into small drops of water on her sleeping bag, and the cold air penetrated into the sleeping bag, entangled in her hungry stomach endlessly. Mentally prepared. Suddenly, she heard Kagawa calling her from outside the sleeping bag. "What's the matter?" she asked. Kagawa handed over a round thing wrapped in a towel, with a hot aroma, which made her feel that if this thing was poured with soy sauce, it would whet her appetite like Korean bibimbap. "What is delicious?" She couldn't help but wonder. "It's a hot pebble. Put it on your stomach, and you won't feel hungry after a while." "Why are stones so fragrant?" "It's the scent from the towel." After Xiangchuan said, he also wrapped a stone and went back to his sleeping bag. Sure enough, pressing this hot thing on her stomach, although it couldn't wrap her stomach, the pain of biting her stomach that had been tormenting her was greatly relieved. There must be less than one person in the world who can come up with such a weird method. Obviously, Kagawa is a smart guy."How did you come up with this idea?" she asked. Xiangchuan replied from a distance: "This thing is called 'kaiseki', and it was used by ancient monks to keep warm and prevent hunger when they chanted scriptures all night." "Who is so smart to invent this thing?" Speaking of this sentence, it is just chatting.Meimei knows that she won't be able to sleep anyway, and chatting with people can also withstand the long night. Kagawa said: "I don't know who invented it. What I know is that the word 'kaiseki' was created by Japanese monks, but I have always suspected that such an elegant behavior must not be the brains of the early Japanese. It can be imagined that this should be the creation of Chinese monks in the Tang Dynasty, and it may even be discovered by the group of people seeking immortality in the Wei and Jin Dynasties, and then spread to Japan along with Buddhism, and the Japanese are blessed. .” "Is it recorded in our history?" "Our ancestors invented too many good things. We, the descendants, feared that it would be troublesome to remember, so we chose to discard them for storage. Otherwise, those shameless Japanese would not dare to compare our traditions with us." "If that's the case, haven't all our traditions been lost?" "Fortunately, there are too many things left by our ancestors. We have discarded them non-stop for a thousand or two years, and there are still a lot left. It's amazing." He turned over and fell asleep. Although Meimei is not very old, her career as a lawyer has attracted countless people. However, she has never met a character like Xiangchuan, and his strange ideas, so she can't help being curious and involuntarily wanting to know more related to him. I don't know which wise person once said such a passage, saying that once a woman becomes curious about a man, that is the beginning of love. Meimei didn't believe this, she thought she was just curious at the time. Now, she was worried that Mr. Zhu would also have the "just curious" thought she had at that time, so she asked, "The night before I came back, were you sick again?" Meimei believes that Mr. Zhu's account of the last night is full of doubts. Zhu Jun said: "I did not stay at home that night." Meimei nodded, encouraging her to continue talking. "I lived in a place that I shouldn't have spent the night that day." "Oh? Why is that?" "But this is my personal life, and it involves other people, so I don't want to talk about it. Even if you are my best friend, I don't want to talk about it now." Mr. Zhu's speech was intermittent, without the professional fluency of a teacher's eloquence. Meimei was not angry at Mr. Zhu's ambiguity, and was even satisfied with the slow progress of the inquiry.She firmly believes that no defendant in the world will tell his lawyer all the facts, but the duty of the lawyer is to avoid being attacked by the opponent in the defense after finding out the whole truth. On this point, she has rich experience.Just imagine, the managers of those bankrupt companies and the bosses who use bankruptcy for profit are ten thousand times more treacherous than Mr. Zhu, but she can still handle it with ease. "So, where did you spend the night?" Meimei grasped the crux of the problem. "I met a man." As usual, Mr. Zhu will show this guilt every time he does something risky without discussing with Meimei in advance. "What kind of man?" "He's a man of sweet words." Zhu Jun's submission and obedience at this moment was already expected by Meimei. "What did he do to you?" Meimei couldn't help being worried. "Nothing special. I went home before dawn." "Is he a bad guy?" "That's not true, he's not bad." The fact that the person is nice means that Mr. Zhu still has some affection for that person, so she is more likely to be hurt.Meimei then asked, "What kind of man is this?" "He is very young, has no family, looks great, speaks well, and has a good financial situation." Mr. Zhu used precise and restrained words, which sounded very much like a description of Kagawa. "You stayed at his house that night?" "Yes, he has his own house." "How long have you known this man?" Mr. Zhu pondered for a while, and said, "Only a few days." After hearing this, Meimei's heart almost stopped beating, and she quickly asked, "Does Xiangchuan know him?" This method of "mutual proof of doubts" is an advanced technique in cross-examination. If the man is Xiangchuan, Zhu-kun has no way to escape at this moment and can only answer directly; if the man is not Xiangchuan, it can also be deduced from Zhu-kun's answer. Ide Kagawa's role in it. Mr. Zhu replied: "Xiangchuan can often see him." "A person from the antique shop?" Meimei was narrowing down the scope and delineating the target. "You guessed right." Mr. Zhu let out a long breath as if he felt relieved after telling the truth. If you continue to interrogate, your privacy will be touched, so Meimei hesitates.In the relationship between the two of them, like many close friends in boudoirs, exchanging information about their boyfriends is very important. Ya's topic is a blasphemy to this friendship. Finally, Meimei had no choice but to say: "You bring him tomorrow and have dinner at my house." If Meimei still had doubts about Zhu-kun and Kagawa at this time, after meeting the next day, she completely dispelled her thoughts. After the doorbell rang, it was Kagawa who opened the door. Meimei came out from the study and saw Kagawa laughing and hugging Zhukun and walking around in the front hall. I haven't heard her smile since graduation. As a result, her chest became clear all of a sudden, and there was no dross in it. If there was an affair between them, they would never behave so presumptuously in front of her.These are just two serious, dutiful men and women. It is not in their nature to do such amazing things within a few days, but they must have successfully reached the level of emotional communication, mutual There must be an unconscious goodwill, otherwise, they would not have shown such unconventional intimacy. Meimei believes in her own judgment, in friendship and love, and believes that Kagawa and Take-kun were innocent in the past week, and nothing happened between them that could worry her.At the same time, this newly formed warm friendship between them is exactly what she has always wanted to achieve, because once she married Kagawa, Take-kun was almost a member of her family. However, the man who walked in the door afterward made her very displeased.If Mr. Zhu had his eyes on such a person, she would have to "separate the two". William James III also saw Meimei, so he cupped his fists and said, "Big lawyer, I heard that you went to the south for business, and you must have swept away thousands of troops, and you will succeed in no time!" Meimei gave him a white look, and said, "I hope that one day, I can also serve you." William hurriedly waved his hands and said, "Don't dare to do it, don't dare to do it. A bankruptcy lawyer coming to the door is like a coffin shop owner coming to solicit business. It's not a good omen." Meimei didn't speak again.She didn't like William. This Englishman claimed to be a student of Kagawa, and he followed him step by step to learn. However, the behavior that appeared to be elegant and interesting in Kagawa became vulgar and disgusting when he learned it from him. "You really fell in love with that guy?" She pulled Mr. Zhu away and asked. "No, it's his wishful thinking." Mr. Zhu blushed. "Then you shouldn't push it halfway. This guy's ass is bumpy, his bones are not four or two, and except for two bad money, there is nothing pleasing about him." Meimei couldn't help speaking harshly. "It's not that annoying, is it?" Mr. Zhu said with a clueless expression. "Why not? Look at the way he flatters Xiangxiang. If he cuts off that thing, he will be an eunuch." She must not let Mr. Zhu really fall in love with this foreigner, otherwise, her beautiful vision of future married life will be greatly reduced .If Mr. Zhu married a man she recognized, the two of them would be able to walk around like sisters. If Mr. Zhu trusted someone wrong, their decades of friendship would be devalued to be worthless by her bad marriage. Zhu Jun's reaction today was beyond Meimei's expectations, she actually started to refute her words and defend William.She said: "I have thought for a long time that you may not like him, but I discovered him by accident, and he is very valuable to me." "What's important? It's nothing more than that, why can't other men do it?" Meimei found that her words were becoming rude. "It's just that he did a good job that day." Meimei shook her head: "You really disappoint me, I have nothing to say." "Don't worry, I'll take care of it." "You slept with him just a few days after you met him, you can be a good fart!" As soon as this foul word came out, Meimei embraced Mr. Zhu, who was streaming tears, in her arms. She knew that she had hurt Mr. Zhu, and this was exactly what she should not do, and she would never do it on weekdays. It's all because of that damned William James III, what is love on earth, it's so hard for Mr. Zhu to make such a stupid judgment! Zhu Jun suddenly whispered in her arms: "Don't be angry with me, there is a reason for this, because that day is the fifth day after the full moon." Damn sexual metaphysics, damn "White Lotus", damn William James III.Meimei's heart is no longer as mad as before. As long as there is a reason for this incident, there must be a way to dispel it. What she is most worried about is the unreasonable love between them. That would catch her off guard. On the other hand, it is a harmless thing for Mr. Zhu to find William when the "White Lotus" broke out, because in those few days, she was confused and created for Mr. Zhu to go to the "White Lotus" with Xiangchuan. Opportunity. Xiang Chuan is a guy with greater curiosity than the sky, if Mr. Zhu talked about her metaphysics of sex with him, one can imagine the result afterwards. Meimei has only breathed a sigh of relief at this moment, and she doesn't dislike William so much. Unless he is a shield deliberately found by Mr. Zhu, that's another matter.She knew that she would never trust anyone easily, so she lived a hard life. Although Kagawa has discovered that Meimei controls Zhu-kun as tightly as she controls her daughter, he is not worried. He believes that Zhu-kun can handle this matter well like a daughter handles a strict mother. He felt that if it must be said that this was a deception to Meimei, it was not all malicious.Nowadays, in order to maintain a good life order, benevolent deceit has become a part of daily life, even an indispensable and important part.Sometimes, if people are not good at using lies and deceit to their relatives and friends, it will be understood as a kind of malicious harm instead. "Mr. Zhu, why didn't you come here wearing your embroidered coat today?" After drinking three rounds and eating five flavors, Xiangchuan deliberately showed his understanding of Mr. Zhu in front of Meimei, so as to help Meimei complete her investigation of Mr. Zhu. William took up the topic in a timely manner, and said: "I borrowed Ms. Bamboo's dress. She doesn't do tailoring, so I can only treat it as a show." "What are you doing?" Meimei asked alertly. "I want to give her a flower dress as a token of love." William, who thought himself smart, gave Kagawa a blink of an eye on purpose when he said this, as if to indicate that he fully understood the intention of inviting him here. Xiangchuan glared at him, and then said to Mr. Zhu: "For a woman like you who has the charm of the forest, the clothes should not be too colorful, but this Englishman doesn't understand these things. Later, he will buy you a set of green clothes. Pants and a peach-red jacket, it will look good on you." "Sir, did you misunderstand?" William was not to be outdone. "I chose a piece of ivory soft satin for the material, and the wide edge of the big-breasted cuffs is covered with duck-head green. The flowers and plants embroidered on the placket and sleeves are all selected from Yun Shouping's sketching albums, and they are absolutely not gaudy. pattern." "After learning from me for the past few years, you kid has improved a lot." Xiangchuan didn't intend to sarcasm, but the taste in his words was really not good. "It's all teachers who are tireless in teaching, and I can learn endlessly." William was ridiculously modest. Meimei interrupted suddenly: "Mr. James, how did you know Mr. Zhu?" William smiled and said, "Please call me James III. You are old, or you can be called Lao Zhan. Without the suffix III, my grandfather and great-grandfather's spirits in heaven may not be able to bear the chanting, and they will keep sneezing." Meimei was amused by him: "Okay, old Zhan, let me ask you, when did you meet Mr. Zhu?" While pretending to count with his fingers, William glanced at Xiangchuan with teasing eyes, and said, "Probably, maybe, like, could it be..." "When exactly?" Meimei's smile froze a bit. William made an expression of sudden realization, and shouted: "5 days, it was 5 days ago, I remember clearly, after Mr. appraised the antiques for everyone that day, I snapped up 12 good ones, and they have been sold today Going to 4 pieces is quite profitable." Xiang Chuan saw that Meimei's eyes turned to Mr. Zhu's face, he hurriedly used Huatou to draw her attention back, and said: "Your friend is good in everything, but he is not easy-going. That day was originally an appointment with William... ," William nodded in agreement, like a chicken pecking at broken rice. "I think it's boring to go out alone, and I want to take this opportunity to give your girlfriend some insight. This is a good thing." "It's a good thing." Meimei's face was uncertain. Xiangchuan let out a long sigh: "In the end, I was the one who dragged her away begging for nothing." Regarding William, he didn't know whether Mr. Zhu told Meimei, or how much he talked about it.He can fully imagine that in the face of Meimei's cross-examination, Mr. Zhu will definitely adopt the method of stating simple facts and skipping dangerous plots. But it is the most untested kind of "lie structure". As long as it is exposed a little, the whole structure will fall into the scope of suspicion. Meimei turned to Mr. Zhu, smiled and asked, "Did you have fun that day?" Mr. Zhu didn't speak, but just pulled out the jade ornament that Xiangchuan gave her from the collar to show Meimei. William took the lead and said: "When I saw it that day, I was overwhelmed with enthusiasm, my hormones were burning, and I adored Ms. Bamboo. I only gave her such a small gift. It's really hard to express what happened." Meimei inspected the jade ornaments carefully and asked, "Is this thing very valuable?" William replied: "Among my many advantages, the smallest advantage is to take advantage of the bad money." Kagawa thought that William was the one who was able to successfully dispel Meimei's doubts today.This British man, wrapped in old Chinese culture and full of old Chinese idioms, looks heartless on the surface, but he is actually full of sophistication.At the same time, he also firmly believes that Mr. Zhu did not tell William the details. All William's performances today should be improvisations without a teacher. This is a very smart guy!He couldn't help admiring secretly. When it comes to William's characteristics of being sloppy, bragging and deceiving, Kagawa didn't realize it until today.Last autumn, when Meimei had just completed the decoration of his small building, a small trouble happened to him, and the key person who finally helped him solve this trouble was William James III . The cause of the incident was the bronze tripod that made him famous in one fell swoop. After seven or eight years, the cultural relics dealer from Henan found the museum again. "Look, look, I went to the well again and dug this thing out." The Henan people opened the paper bags layer by layer, revealing a piece of bronze ware inside. Xiangchuan recognized at a glance that this was the missing ear on the bronze tripod he bought from him last time. On the fragment attached to the ear, there was a line of small characters cast on it, which was the most important evidence for identifying the owner. After careful identification and comparison with the original, it is really good.He said to the man: "You are so cruel, you actually took so many years to take it out." "It's newly dug, newly dug." The Henan people are obviously talking nonsense with their eyes open. "Are you going to hand it over to the state?" The curator who spoke was a pedant. "Don't dare, you old man, I just want to exchange two money for flowers. The house at home has collapsed, and the son wants to marry a wife. The old mother has just died and has not been buried yet, and the wife is dying of illness. White smoke is coming out of the dry land. The cow has sprained its leg again, so it can only be sold to the soup pot. The family wants nothing now, so I come to beg you, old man." The man's accent of "Henan Zhuizi" was smooth and clever. "How much do you want?" the curator asked logically. The Henan native extended a slap. The curator nodded and said: "It's really hard for you, I sent it all the way." He picked up the phone and notified the cashier to send 6,000 yuan in cash. "It's not easy for you. We will cover the round-trip fare, board and lodging." Kagawa believes that although the curator's approach is very humane with intellectuals, it is not in line with the cultural relics dealer in front of him.This guy is obviously here to blackmail them. Last time the museum only gave him 150,000 yuan, but he accepted it without saying a word. Now he can wait seven or eight years until the market for Chinese cultural relics soars. , It also shows that this is a ruthless master, and it will definitely be troublesome to deal with. Another shrewdness of this guy is that although the broken treasure tripod was worth four to five hundred thousand at the time, it was illegal to buy and sell in private, and the risk of smuggling out was even greater. Sooner or later, he would find him On the head, it is natural to go to jail.Now, this guy secretly left a key fragment, and turned over the rest to the country, which allowed him to buy it well and earn a lot of money immediately, while still retaining the opportunity to blackmail today.All of this clearly shows that his thoughtfulness is not to be underestimated. The cultural relics dealer finally expressed his attitude, saying that the asking price is not high, only 5 million yuan. From the point of view of extortion, this price is really not too outrageous.The bronze tripod is a very large ritual vessel. Even if it is not the tripod of Zhou Tianzi, it must be the treasure of the princes of the big country. What makes it even more precious is that the inscriptions of 84 characters are all on the same fragment , the bronze inscriptions on it have not been damaged at all, so although this is a broken and repaired bronze vessel, its value will be far higher than that of the whole vessel of the same size.If it can be matched with this last fragment, not to mention the crazy auction price today, even if it is transferred and exchanged between museums, the price will have to be more than 10 million yuan. Xiang Chuan stopped the impatient curator and asked the Henan people: "Where do you live at the moment, how can we contact you?" "I have your phone number and I will call you tomorrow." "I want to treat you to dinner tonight." "Thank you, I'm still comfortable eating on my own, you guys had better discuss it quickly and make up your mind early." "With such a large sum of money, it is not something that can be done in three or two days." "I still have patients at home, but I can't wait for a few days." "then what should we do?" "If you don't buy it, I can sell it to the cultural relics market, and I can get the same price. At that time, those people may not ask you for less." This is a blatant threat, but it is also reasonable business classics. 送走了河南人,香川立刻给威廉打电话,让他迅速摸清情况,他担心文物市场上已经有人见到了这块残片。 威廉在电话中道:“不就是你们博物馆里少的那只耳朵吗?” “怎么回事?”香川心下一沉,把电话转到免提功能,让馆长和前来商量对策的同事们一起听。 “那小子是个老油条,今年春天拿给南边一家博物馆的也是块青铜器残片,竟然敲了人家将近一半的价钱。” 修复完整的青铜器和残器之间,在价钱上确实相差一半。 “早不给提个醒,这会儿放马后炮。”香川大为不满。 “你那不是公家买卖嘛?我们买下那玩意儿,多少也能赚双鞋钱不是?”威廉不知道这边众人都能听得到他讲话。 香川正是想让他说出心里话,也好先洗清自己,因为他与古董商的关系过于密切,现在出了这样一件事,难免会被同事们没来由地指摘、怀疑。 他问:“现在开价多少了?” “这老小子给不少人看过,但都觉得不大好意思对博物馆下手,价钱现在刚开到六十来万。” “你把话放出去,就说是我说的,谁要是敢买,我把他赶出古董行。”香川难得讲这么狠的话。 “我们这些人好办,就您一句话的事,没人敢不听,可就怕这家伙卖到别处去,要万一进了京城,那我们可就没办法了。”威廉的语气听起来话里有话。 “好吧,你先把东西给我盯紧了,告诉大伙儿都别动手,先吊着他,回头再想处置他的办法。”他不能再让威廉多说了,戏法人人会变,一旦说漏,即使他冒着风险把东西弄回来,也未必会让博物馆的领导和同事们见情。 放下电话,他问馆长:“现在得看咱们是个什么主意。” “我没主意,馆里没有这笔钱,上级领导也绝不可能让我们出这笔钱。”馆长是个老实人。 “各位有什么高见。”香川对众人道。院中还有七八位老资格的文物鉴定专家,同行是冤家,没有一个是好相与的。 众人把头摇得整齐划一,然后将目光盯在馆长身上。这样的情形,香川早便料到了,果然,馆长终于发话,请香川代表博物馆全权处理此事,一定要把那块残片弄回来。 This is life.但香川倒是没有不满之意,作为馆中最年轻的专家,他一直享受着最自由的待遇,所以,一旦发生这种倒霉事,自然该当轮到他出力。 不想,此后一连三天,那个河南人就仿佛凭空消失了一般,再没与博物馆联系,文物市场那边也没了他的消息。 馆长胆小,以为那人被绑了票,或是被谋财害命了。但香川知道这是生意经,那人既然把东西拿了出来,必定是要换回钱去的,况且,除去博物馆这一家买主,其他人单拿着那块残片毫无价值,所以,不论是谁,也不管是偷是抢,他最终都要与博物馆打交道。 于是,他让美美与报社的朋友联系,发出一条消息,说是博物馆下个月将在英国爱丁堡举办一次展览,展品中便有这只著名的青铜鼎。这次展览原本就在计划之中,只是他将时间提前了3个月。 香川知道,那些文物贩子们再精明,他们也未必了解博物馆展览的运作,所以,只要这只宝鼎即将出国的消息在业内传开,那只耳朵很快就会出现,因为,没有宝鼎在现场验证,即使拿来那块残片,生意也谈不成。 与此同时,他也没让美美闲着,有关文物出土、买卖的法律、法规,都让她给找了出来。 然而,坏消息很快便出现了,美美请教了国内好几位精通文物法的专家,结论是一致的——那一小块残片的单一价值过低,不足以构成犯罪,所有者可以自行处置,没人有权力干涉他。 这下子麻烦大了,那个河南人一定也清楚这中间的法律关节,否则他绝不会来取这个巧。 香川平生第一次发了愁。 威廉一向认为,他的先生是个好先生,仁义礼智信样样俱全,唯一的缺点就是不够坏,如果他能把身上那种好玩的“嘎坏”进化成“真坏”,他在古董行里少不得会发上几千万的大财,正因为如此,也就难怪他面对那个河南文物贩子的敲诈,一时没了主意。 常言道,“有事弟子服其劳”。既然拜了这等重身份、讲道德的人为师,干坏事自然该由弟子出面,于是他道:“先生,我倒是有个主意,只是您老人家不能出面。” “什么主意?”香川有些吃惊。 “详细的您也就甭问了,以免有辱尊耳。这几天,他要是跟您联系,您就把我的电话号码给他,他要是先跟文物市场这边联系,您老人家就别再问了,装聋作哑也是当长辈的本份不是?” “你小子可别闹出大事来。” 这是句好话,香川先生必定是怕他闯下祸来,古董这一行虽说斯文,但出上个把条人命也不算新闻。他忙安慰先生道:“我也不是刚入行,您教给我的规矩都牢牢地记在脑袋里了,小心无大错,您老擎好吧。” 果然,没过几天,那个河南人的电话就被香川转了过来。 威廉对他道:“有主儿给你开了个价钱,65个,愿意卖就麻利儿地过来,不愿意卖就给我滚得远远的,再让我瞧见,敲断你的狗腿子,要是听见你卖给了别人,我就要你的狗命。” 他知道自己不得不如此,因为,在古董行里,他是公认的不讲理的浑蛋,若换成和善口气讲话,别人反倒会生疑。 要想学成先生的儒雅高贵,除非再不干这一行。他只能自叹生不逢时。 “威廉·詹姆斯三世先生,您老该不是要坑我吧?”河南文物贩子讲得连名带姓,必是对他早有耳闻。 “你有嘛值得我坑的,不愿意来就拉倒。” “俺去,这就去。” “你先别忙,今儿个我得去听相声,没那闲功夫伺候你,明天赶早过来。可话说回来,我拿一成的茶钱。” “您老多费心。”那个河南人想必是被他的浑蛋名声给镇住了,可又舍不得这笔买卖,所以答应得倒也干脆。 第二天一见面,威廉对他约来的胖子买主道:“给他看看钱。” 又对河南人道:“留神别吓着。” 鳄鱼皮的手提箱打开来,露出满满一箱人民币。 威廉对胖子道:“拿出来让他瞧仔细喽,别让他说咱爷儿们拿假钱唬人。” 不想,文物贩子伸手将对方的皮箱合上,道:“钱俺不是没见过,还是先谈价儿吧。” “东西呢?没见着东西,谈个屁?”威廉把浑蛋的架子摆足了十成。 河南人跑出墨香堂,很快就捧着个纸包回来。身怀至宝,在外边有个接应是必需的。 威廉道:“放桌儿上让咱开开眼。” 纸包打开来,里边正是那东西,半环形的耳朵下边连着碗大的一块残片。威廉高叫一声:“来个人,给我拓个墨片儿,留着当样子。” 立刻就有他的雇员端着拓片的家伙过来干活。也就在这个时候,一辆旅行轿车停在门口,车上下来个一脸酒气的胖子,比先前的胖子大了足足两号,进门就喊:“那块片儿在哪块儿啦,给咱瞧瞧。”口音接近山东人。 威廉一抖搂手:“得,戗行事的来啦。” 那个大胖子一屁股坐在桌旁,见到那只耳朵伸手就抓,口中道:“咱买啦,多少钱?给个数。” 这个人的出现一下子给房中增添了紧张气氛,先来的小胖子伸手挡住大胖子的手,道:“凡事都有个先来后到,我这儿正谈着哪,谈不拢您再伸手。” 大胖子不服气:“这都啥年月了,哪来的先来后到?现在都是钱说话,谁出的钱多,东西归谁。是不是这话?”他最后一句是问威廉。 威廉指着河南人道:“他才是卖主儿,但是,今天不管谁买,都是我的中人。” 大胖子朝着屋顶打了个哈哈,道:“不就是钱嘛,给你一成鞋钱。真格得,你们谈到哪块儿啦?” 河南人道:“价钱还没说定规。” 大胖子把大手往河南人眼前一晃,道:“闭上你的鸟嘴,今天我是跟这个小胖子比比谁更有钱,你小子准备好口袋等着装钱吧,就怕你一会儿背它不动。” 小胖子把钱箱子打开给大胖子亮了亮,又关上了。 大胖子也伸手提起一只大号手提箱,朝着河南人打开来亮了亮,道:“叫价吧。” 两个人一来一往,价钱水涨船高,河南人喜得脸上开出花来。 价钱最后升到186万元人民币上才停住,后来的大胖子叫不上去了。 威廉只好出来打圆场,对大胖子道:“这位仁兄,咱们头回见面,买卖不成仁义在,往后一块儿发财的日子比树叶还多,今天你就让让吧。” 大胖子道:“我凭啥要让?” 威廉好言相劝:“这块残片要是单摆浮搁,不值一屉肉包子的价钱,任谁买了它去,不都是为了敲博物馆的竹杠嘛?” 大胖子叫道:“正是这个意思,就算闹不到一半的价钱,弄他个四五百万不算难。” 威廉仰面朝天打了个哈哈,道:“可万一博物馆犯了脾气,硬是不买怎么办?那可是国家的买卖,那只鼎是残是整,跟他们个人可没多大干系。” “要是这么说,好吧,算咱没福哇,这么好的东西。” 大胖子爱惜不尽地拿起那只耳朵摩挲半晌,这才放下,又道:“搅扰了几位,不好意思,日后有啥难处,尽管来找我,'青沧两县,运河两岸;回汉两教,黑白两道',都是咱的朋友。” “谢谢,谢谢,托福,托福。”威廉起身要送客。 那大胖子却一拍河南人的肩膀,道:“哪能就这么走啦?我得给我这兄弟留点念想,也算他没白费了心思,晌午的酒饭我候啦。”说话间打开手提箱,不想,取出来的并不是钱,而是一把装修工人用的大号橡皮榔头。 他将榔头横下里一扫,逼开众人,叫道:“咱得不着,谁也得不着。”他的话音刚落,榔头便一下子砸在那只青铜耳朵上。方才也不知是哪个浑蛋把那块青铜残片刚好架在砚台沿上,而在土中浸蚀了几千年的青铜早已氧化得酥脆,在重锤之下,顿时碎作数块。 “你哪里走?”威廉最先回过神来,做势便要拿人。不想大胖子脚下却不慢,一手拎着提箱,一手抡着榔头,龙行虎步,窜出房门,上了汽车,转眼便没了踪影。 此时追也追不上,报警也没用,小胖子只甩下一句话——丧气,便要提着钱箱子扬长而去,丢下河南人捧着那堆碎片独自哭号。 “慢着,慢着。”威廉拦住小胖子。 “你别给我号丧啦。”他又止住河南人的哭声。 两个人都定睛瞅着他,他这才摆好架式,发一阵仰天长笑,把那二人笑得呆若木鸡。 “别傻了,你们,”威廉笑得眼泪也下来了。“一块是残片,十块八块还是残片,反正博物馆拿回去也得修补。瞧瞧你们这个样子,竟然还出来捣腾文物,别给我们中国人丢脸啦!” 那二人脸上顿现喜色。威廉掰开河南人紧紧抓住残片不放的手指,道:“把它仔细看看,要是没大损伤,咱们就照刚才那个价钱成交。” 小胖子得理不饶人:“不行,都碎成这样了,价钱不能照给。” “你看呢?”威廉问河南人。 河南人道:“东西还在,反正原器也是破的,这块碎了不碍的,还是照原价。” 那两个家伙你来我往,又是一轮争执过后,价钱最后定在了88万元人民币,小胖子开箱取钱,河南人又要把残片包裹起来。 威廉道:“等等,既然我是中人,一手托两家,事也得办地道喽。现在把这些碎片交给我,我得验货。” 依照花纹、形制,他将碎片拼在一处,与尚未干透的拓片相对照,却发现少了核桃大小的两块。 “狗娘养的王八蛋,”威廉冲着河南人勃然大怒,伸手照他的脑袋就给了一巴掌。“你小子又想玩花活,偷了那两块,日后再讹我的朋友是吧?” “俺没拿。”河南人急得满头大汗,慌忙四下里寻找。 “你那意思是我拿啦?”威廉的嗓音一声比一声高,说话间,他脱下外边的长衫,露出里边的裤褂。“看看,我有没有?” 河南人捏遍长衫各个角落,没有。小胖子的高级西装也被威廉硬扒了下来,他身上也没有。 “该不是刚走的那人拿啦?”河南人汗如雨下。 威廉大叫:“放狗屁,他一手提着钱匣子,一手拿着橡皮榔头,怎么拿?就是你拿的,现在麻利儿地给我交出来。” 河南人苦着个脸,无话可说。 威廉拿手指戳着他的额头道:“你大爷我行走江湖20年,没栽过跟头,今天你想要我的好看,也就别怪我不仗义啦。” “您要怎么样?”河南人被吓住了。 “来呀,”威廉招呼手下人。“把这堆破烂儿包上,全交给这位胖老兄。现在这些碎片儿你们俩人是一人拿着一份,自己外边商量去吧。” 东西到了小胖子手里,河南人畏惮威廉,不敢动手来抢,只能发一声哀嚎:“俺没拿呀!” 威廉道:“拿没拿现在也说不清了。这么着吧,这堆破烂归胖兄。胖兄,您赏给他俩车钱,也算他没白费心思。” 见河南人仍然挣扎着要说什么,他便道:“什么时候你想明白了,把那两块残片交出来,按说好的价钱,一分一厘也不少你的。可你要是想歪了心又动坏主意,那便是自寻死路。” 说话间,他动手从小胖子的皮箱里抓出一万元人民币,丢到河南人的身上,紧跟着喊了一嗓子,声调之高,可比《奥赛罗》中愤怒的男高音: "Get out!" 当威廉把全部残片一块不少地交到香川手上时,对于收回这些东西的过程他却只字未提。他认为这算不上是对先生的欺骗,因为这是在老师跟前,自己身上的坏东西总得遮掩遮掩,正派人的体面还是应该要的。 被他约来帮忙的那个小胖子,事后曾追在他屁股后边一个劲儿地求教,想跟他学这门手艺,但他睬也不睬,便把他打发了。这种早已写入《江湖丛谈》的高级骗术,你们中国人自己不学,上当也是活该。 事情的真相其实并不复杂,那两块丢失了的残片,是被他雇来的大胖子乘乱拿走的。威廉并不是第一次与大胖子合作,对他的能力极有信心。这家伙手法巧妙,擅长表演,有偷天换日之能,瞒天过海之术,祖籍是河北省吴桥市,专业是变戏法的,所以,偷藏个物件这类小事对他来说轻而易举。 此后多年,每想到此事,威廉总是忍不住大笑不止,西方人一旦掌握了中国的民间智慧,便足可以打遍天下无敌手,因为,当代中国人已经丢弃了他们的传统智慧,而西方人又对这种智慧一无所知。 放眼天下,能将东西方智慧合二为一的,只有他威廉·詹姆斯三世一个人! 当威廉又把思路转回到美美让他们三头对案的现场时,晚餐已经进行过半,香川端了只盘子从厨房出来,美美毫不客气却又不失熟络地对他道:“老詹,快来开开眼吧,我想你没吃过这东西。” 他已经瞧明白了,这是在一盘雪山似的油炸粉丝上边,爬着二三十只被油炸得金黄的蝎子。他道:“吓唬谁呢?不敢吃虫子,怎么能当中国人?”便伸手拈了一只放在口中。 “好样的,在外国人里边你最勇敢。”美美拍手称快。 “不敢当,我的师母!这都是先生教导有方。” 以往他来拜访,很是见过美美几回,只是印象不佳,他不喜欢这个性情刚烈,言语如风,瘦得像辟谷的神仙似的女人。 但今日之事,让他改变了看法,却原来,这是个热情如沸腾的钢水,嫉妒心强似雷电的女人,于是他释然了,替他的老师。像先生这样神仙般的人物,若要娶妻,也只能选竹君那样温柔的多情种子,或是美美这样热情的烈火奶奶,其他种类的女人,都配不上先生的高贵。 美美今天很高兴,很是为自己的聪明才智和纵横捭阖的手段感到得意,因为她终于揭露了事实真相,而这个真相又恰好未曾超出她的预料。 弄清事实真相的每一个细节,这是她的职业习惯。经过两天的调查,她认为可以得出结论了,香川与竹君的这种迅速发展的亲热关系,其实仅仅是姐夫与小姨子式的相互倾慕,而非真正的“乱伦”;至于竹君与威廉的关系,还得看发展,因为,异族通婚总会有些意想不到的麻烦。 至于她自己与香川的关系,她也有了更进一步的认识,得出的结论是:在好色这一点上,香川与满大街的臭男人没有什么两样。虽然如此,但这并不妨碍她嫁给他,因为,在香川的身上,倒是优雅的可爱之处显得更丰富,更多样,更有趣味些,如果用威廉的用词方式来形容,此可谓之“罄竹难书”,所以,这一项缺点对他们的婚姻并无大碍,只能算作是丈夫身上可控制的坏毛病而已。 况且,对于这个特定的男人来讲,好色也许并不是坏事。她认为,香川的好色绝不是那种贪得无厌、纵欲无度的恶行,却是接近于“好色而不淫”的君子,是一种彬彬有礼的欲望,反倒给他增添了不少男人特有的魅力。 其实,远在他们交往之初,美美对他好色的审美习惯便有所认识,那是当香川谈及第一次见到她,谈到“萱草黄色的衣裙和萱草黄色的宽沿帽”的时候。 “我没有理由到你的门前去,更不会穿什么萱草黄的衣服,我从来也没穿过黄色。” 这是她对香川的抗辩,也是对他的第一次欺骗。她之所以断然否认自己曾经出现在那条街上,是因为她在这条街的另一头刚刚结束了一段糟糕透顶的恋情。也许那根本就算不上是什么恋情,只能算是一场大猩猩式的粗鲁的追逐而已——对方是一位绝顶自私和无趣的高级公务员。 香川当时对她的否认并没有表现出任何的不快,只是略做坚持便放弃了这个话题。这让她反而不知所措,如果她能够像今天这样了解香川,知道他是那种可以在生活上,甚至原则上任意听从恋人的摆布,而在意志上永远特立独行的人,她就不会因为他当时对她的不以为意而进一步欺骗他。 当她说到他们在山中便曾有过真实的肉体接触时,香川的反应先是让她觉得有趣,甚至好玩,进而又有些生气。那虽然是在香川浑身湿透,高烧不止的情况下发生的事情,他的记忆发生偏差应属正常情况,然而,那件事在他的记忆当中居然没有半点遗存,这就不得不让她生气,于是便大胆地任意编造细节来证实此事,以至于两三个月讲下来,她自己也已分辨不清哪些是事实,哪些是谎言了。这是她对他的第二次欺骗,是有意为之的恶作剧。 值得庆幸的是,这些谎言对任何人都没有造成伤害,反倒是让她对这个被谎言捆缚在责任与道德的蛛网里的男人发生了浓厚的兴趣,以至于狂热地迷恋上了香川在她控制下的无助与软弱。 这个男人正是用他的无助与软弱战胜了她的刚强。美美想到此处,猛地幡然醒悟。 然而,她清清楚楚地知道,香川其实既不无助,也不软弱,他的这种行为正是他最为自鸣得意的对女人表达同情与关爱的方式。 “女人自以为需要一个强有力的依靠,其实她们的内心深处更需要一个可同情、可怜爱的宠物。”这是他谈话的原文。 “我绝不会相信这种鬼话。”美美是在他们第二次进山的时候听到香川讲这句话。 “那是因为你没有真正恋爱过。”香川正在篝火上烧烤一只在超市中买来的山鸡,不时地将烤肉温度计插进鸡身上测试肉熟的程度。 “我难道不爱你吗?”美美接触过的男人不多,香川是第一个让她可以毫无顾忌地坦言所爱的男人。 “你只是觉得我好玩罢了,真正的恋爱,没有你这么强烈的感觉。” “那该是怎样的感觉。”她知道香川又要开始编造伪理论哄她开心了,便心满意足地给他帮腔,同时等待着那只香气四溢的山鸡被烤熟。 香川朝四下里黑洞洞的山野望了望,像是担心他下边的话被什么人听了去。 “说呀!”美美的耐心是有限的。 香川用一块卵石压住过旺的火势,这才道:“真正的,可以把人引导向婚姻的爱情,是一种恬静的,温润如玉的情感,既没有冷静的分析和对比,也没有狂躁的占有与控制,它要求当事者始终处在一种模糊的审美状态当中,类似于微醺。” “什么?”她没有听清楚最后一个词。这家伙遣词造句当中,常常会出现些古怪的内容。 “微醺!就是半醉半醒。这个时候,人的认知水平被提高到了接近于本能,而审美能力却下降到常常忽略明显的外在缺陷。” “你真是满嘴胡言乱语。”美美被逗得大笑不止。 “所以才会有那'满纸荒唐言,一把辛酸泪'。”香川也在笑。 山鸡终于被烤熟
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