Chapter 2 Chapter 1 A Day Without a Hero
In 1950, the Tianjin Anti-Corruption Office conducted a half-year intensive review of Jin Shanqing. Jin Shanqing insisted that he was an early democratic revolutionist in the city.However, the leaders of the anti-revolutionary office held a different view. He believed that this person had a complicated and extraordinary experience. Agent Sanderson has very close contacts with him, and also has ulterior connections with Japanese agent Kamikaku Riichi (the executor who hijacked Emperor Xuantong to enthroned in Manchukuo)...
After crossing the French Bridge and turning southwest, you will find the Russian Concession.Many years later, Jin Shanqing realized how much this trip meant to him, how much trouble it caused him, and how helpless it was, which delayed his family business recovery and made him suffer forever.
To elaborate on this matter, we have to start before the Spring Festival in the year of Renzi. At that time, he also ran across the French Bridge from south to north in a foreign car, got on the train at the East Station, and went straight to Tanggu Wharf.
That day, Jin Shanqing did not go directly into the Port Authority, as usual, he was always extra careful.On the manifest sent from Germany, it was estimated that the ship would arrive at the port on February 11, 1912, which was the 25th day of the twelfth lunar month of the Xinhai Year.The day is right, what is wrong is the goods he wants to pick up.Although the Provisional Revolutionary Government of Nanjing was negotiating with Yuan Shikai after the Wuchang riots, smuggling 2,000 breech-loading seven-gun carbines from the Krupp factory, plus 100,000 rounds of ammunition, to the Northern Revolutionary Party was still a crime of beheading.Although 14 of the 21 provinces are now independent, Tianjin Wei is still ruled by the Qing Empire after all, with Empress Dowager Longyu and Lafayette in charge.
He looked around quickly and carefully. There were no spies, no soldiers in ambush, not even a biting dog, everything was as usual.Be careful, there is no big mistake, working for the revolutionary party, the first thing is to save your life.
The Port Authority of Tanggu is a small three-story building, Western-style, facing four Ionic stone pillars, and a stone lion on one side of the door, squatting there with its head turned. The boss looks unwilling, and they are all products of Quyang County. Exquisite; on the opposite side is a flagpole with a yellow dragon flag hanging.Although all this seems a bit out of place, it also simply and clearly tells the idlers in the past that this is a yamen, belonging to the Qing Dynasty.
The doorman wearing a red tasseled hat greeted Jin Shanqing and opened the glass door.There are so many people going in and out of this yamen every day, the gatekeeper may not recognize him, this Ann is aimed at the Suolong leather robe on his body.Whenever he went to work at the gate of a similar yamen, he always dressed extravagantly, and the servants only recognized clothes, chariots and horses, not people.
Jin Shanqing is 25 years old this year. She is slightly taller than the average Qing people, but not much taller, so she is not an eyesore like a Taoist god; she is not fat, but she can only be regarded as more capable than rich.Looking at the face, there are thin eyebrows, big eyes, and a high bridge of nose, not to mention being decent, but there is a certain grace in the look, not the shrewdness of a businessman, but the kind of contempt that has been eaten and seen before, and in a blink of an eye, he It may also change into a very lovable, even naughty look.If there is any shortcoming, it is his beautiful thin lips, after a careful taste, there is always a hint of ruthlessness.
He graduated from the Beijing Normal University, and he speaks German and English well, which made the old man stunned for a while.When I went to Japan to study abroad, I learned Japanese, visited famous hot spring hotels, and handed in the revolutionary party by the way.In the revolutionary party, there are mostly young people who drink heavily and speak well. They hang out with each other all day long, so that he has no thoughts of home. The Daguan Jin family, which has been rich for more than a hundred years, has gone bankrupt. Except for the return travel expenses, there will be no more money to send.Forget it, he immediately bid farewell to his geisha in tears, brought a letter of introduction from the revolutionaries, and at the same time accepted the tasks of the revolutionaries, and came home.
He is a person who enjoys blessings from birth and cannot suffer. Revolutionaries are most considerate of such things. Therefore, the job given to him as the second shopkeeper of the Chinese tent of Tianjin German Merchant Hengchang Foreign Bank is quite in line with his wishes.Making money from business is a skill passed down in their families. If the Revolutionary Party succeeds, maybe he can restore the family business.
Sometimes he also asked himself: Are you a revolutionary?It should be considered that although he has not formally joined, it is just that there is no formality; but it is not all, because the idea in his heart is the same as the ideal of the revolutionary party in the general direction, but there are obvious differences in the subtleties.
The shipping department is full of officials, at worst they are golden men, they can't make up for the real shortage, and they can be regarded as a poor job working here, and the future is good, raising a family, renting a house, taking out a concubine, etc. Enough is enough.Although the subjects of the Qing Dynasty hated foreign hairies so much that their teeth itch, but for such a foreign matter, they made a lot of money compared to the county magistrate who really lacked.
Jin Shanqing entered the door and invited the big guy to be the general security officer. His movements were firm and neat. He lifted his robe, shook his sleeves, stepped forward, and leaned over. I'm just practicing this hand job.The people in the room who saw him all cupped their hands, which was a half-repayment.They were not polite to him, Jin Shanqing, but to his communication skills and the money he spent on them.For these people, Jin Shanqing only reported a false surname, saying that it was Zhao, and no one cared what he was called, and they called him Xiao Zhao casually. , who was originally from the county, and which trading shop he opened, just tacitly classified him as a smuggler. The reason why he was not regarded as an opium dealer was that his goods were sent directly from the West. He does not produce opium; secondly, he does not have the gangster spirit of an opium dealer.
"Who has your goods today? Which ship?" Lao Ge who spoke is the leader here, wearing a crystal cap, a member of the shipping department, and an alternate magistrate of the fifth rank. He is also a delicious person. Lord, every time Jin Shanqing treats guests, he is indispensable.He blew on the paper media and muttered for a while on the Yunbaicong hookah, and mysteriously leaned into Jin Shanqing's ear and said, "A Danish ship was detained at the pier today, and it was said that there were prohibited items. It's not your business here, is it? "
"Absolutely not." In addition to his local accent, Jin Shanqing can also speak Mandarin, Shandong dialect and fluent Beijing films. In official circles, his Mandarin is mellow and melodious, fascinating, but it always has a taste of Beijing oil seeds. "How could it be? My lord, you know me. I don't touch contraband at all. I'm so good-looking that I can't get along with Wang Fa. Is it sick?"
"We brothers have friendship, so I'll let you know the news." Lao Ge's eyes were dubious. "The foreigner from Tianjin Customs has come, that is the most troublesome 'Sang Beheaded'; the committee member sent by the Zhili Governor's Mansion to investigate the case has also come, and is discussing with the general office of the bureau to arrest the owner. Don't you Hit by mistake, hit the net, then I can't save you, it's a crime of beheading!"
"Thank you for your care." Jin Shanqing's heart is like a mirror, if Lao Ge knows that he is smuggling arms, he will be the first to report him.This is what is called an official. It is his duty to invite meritorious service and make a fortune. There is nothing wrong with it. What is wrong are those idiots who think that people who mess with officials are loyal and conscientious.But there is also good news. Sanderson, nicknamed "Sang Beheaded", has a little friendship with him, and things may turn around.
"I'll invite you all to visit the city some other day." Jin Shanqing made a bow and retreated, thinking whether to run away or stay and ask around.Lao Ge's guess was correct, he came to pick up the Danish ship today, and the contraband seized was most likely the batch of arms he had obtained for the Tianjin Iron Blood Corps.He already has some experience in doing this kind of work. Supporting the Northern Revolutionary Party is the good will of the League, and it is part of his job to make ammunition for them. Although he has never missed a job, it is common for something to go wrong in the middle, and it is not terrible. , But this time it was a bit difficult. Most of the foreigners in Tianjin Customs were spies from the British Consulate. If they intervened in this matter, it would be more troublesome.
We can't back down from this, and we can't let go of this batch of goods.Only those who dare to take risks can get the greatest rewards. This is one of Jin Shanqing's creeds.Of course, it was also his creed that he who ventured ahead despite the danger was a real fool.He is a flexible man who hates rules and loves "means".
So, like walking on the street, he walked up to the pier with his sleeves flicked, wanting to confirm with his own eyes the batch of seized munitions.The Danish-flagged steamer had already docked at the pier. A dozen porters unloaded large and small wooden boxes from the ship and loaded them into a four-wheeled rickshaw commonly known as "Di Niuzi". The Qing soldiers guarded the surroundings, and a small group of foreigners smoked on the sidelines. There was no Sanderson he knew inside, and a few brilliant Qing officials shrank aside.No need to ask, as soon as Jin Shanqing looked at it, he knew that this was the batch of goods he had come to pick up, and beside him were the Super Chief Inspector of Tianjin Customs who was in charge of anti-smuggling and the officials of Zhili Governor's Mansion.Once the foreigners came out, the officials of the Qing Dynasty became broken reminders.Jin Shanqing hated this kind of slave-like appearance the most. Perhaps it was because he had dealt with foreign teachers a lot when he was in school.They too were transformed from monkeys, according to their own words.
Trouble.Jin Shanqing smiled inexplicably.In terms of money, this incident did not affect him much. It is common for people who engage in smuggling to lose their goods. The profits from the previous trips are enough to offset the loss this time. It is nothing to be afraid of. Just do one vote.But what he hesitated in his heart was that the buyers of this batch of arms were the local Iron Blood Group, and the gang of Young Master Revolutionaries would not let it go.
It was safe to run away immediately, but we couldn't show our man's ability in front of the Iron Blood Corps and the Alliance.Jin Shanqing was also a little uncertain about what to do.
Worth mentioning.He shook the little dust on the hem of the leather robe, walked in all directions, flicked his sleeves, and walked towards the small group of foreigners.
In March 1950, Interrogation Room No. 18 of the Anti-Tianjin Anti-Corruption Office.
Counter-rebellion cadre: Don't keep confessing yourself, you should also tell something real.
Wang Jiu: (nicknamed "Duoyihua", formerly a clerk at Fushou Soup Restaurant, now an employee of Jiefang Bathhouse, facing resignation) I remember a foreigner named Sanderson, whose Chinese name was Sangchuncheng. The name "Sang Beheaded" is said to be a ruthless guy.At the same time, this guy is also an idiot. He comes to my place every day and night to take a bath, and he likes to chat with people. He speaks Chinese well, but with a touch of Cantonese bird language. Most of the time it is quite gentle.The bathhouses in the entire Chinese world are probably all like this Western hall, and I caught up with it.This man is as white as a white chicken, with a large patch of red hair on his chest, and a big towel around him. He sits on the couch and always drags other guests to drink tea with him, with Gegu Luobu and spiced nuts, Then there was a sea chat of asking east and west.Sometimes he invites people to dinner when he chats happily. His tastes are very mixed. Several restaurants at the door call them in turn, such as ancient meat, sweet and sour fish, and crab. I've seen it before, but with bare eyes, I exchanged it with a big yellow flower...
Anti-counterfeiting cadre: Is there a Chinese named Jin Shanqing among the Chinese people he associates with?
Wang Jiu: Yes, Mr. Jin, a descendant of the Jin family in Daguan. His ancestors were tax collectors in Daguan, Hebei, and he made a fortune for several lifetimes.During the Guangxu period, he was still a well-known dog boy in Tianjin. When he arrived in Xuantong, he seemed to be different, less muddled. It is said that he had studied abroad.Young Master Jin is not tired, but he also comes every few days, and most of the time he doesn't take a shower, just chatting with Sanderson endlessly.In my opinion, the two of them have something to do, not a poor chat.
Counter-rebellion cadre: Is there any conspiracy?Is it a shameful thing?
Wang Jiu: That's for sure. You always think, what's wrong with a foreign devil and a revolutionary party?It must not be a good thing.
Counter-revolutionary cadre: Is he a revolutionary party?No way.
Wang Jiu: I've also heard nonsense from people, so I don't think it's true.
Just like that, the Spring Festival is over, and the Iron Blood Corps will not let it go because of the arms issue, but so what?Jin Shanqing has a deep root in her heart, if the goods are lost, I will just lose money.Anyway, he was lucky, the situation is different now, the second day after the loss, the Southern Provisional Government successfully negotiated peace with Yuan Shikai, the Empress Dowager Longyu decreed to abdicate, and the Tongmenghui stopped "talking" about the northern Revolutionary Party's riots.In this way, if the Iron Blood Corps took this batch of munitions, it would become a burden instead, and the 60,000 yuan Yingyang deposit was returned to them, and they were invited to get together at the head of the famous "Eight Great Successes" and have a good meal. They are naturally very satisfied (see another story "The Party of the Rich" for details).However, Jin Shanqing was unwilling to lose such a batch of guns that were considered the best among the armies of the great powers.
At the same time, he still has a judgment that is not humane: he believes that the cooperation between the League and Yuan Shikai will not be possible at all, and the two parties have no real intentions.He stared at Shanghai's "News", Tianjin's "Ta Kung Pao" and the English "Beijing-Tianjin Times" every day. Judging from the conditions proposed by the negotiating parties, the interests of the two parties are far apart, and they both want to use each other. The Qing Dynasty will continue, and he will come to power and sit on the stage.Therefore, Sun Wen had no choice but to give up the interim presidential seat to Yuan Shikai.
In order to fight for this seat, within a few months, both sides will have to pull out their troops and fight again.At that time, this batch of arms was like a timely gift to the Tongmenghui.Jin Shanqing found that this was an opportunity, he could use his own money to fish out the arms first without asking the League for instructions.When the two sides start a war, this is a hot item that will break the bank. No matter which side it is sold to, it will be several times, dozens of times profitable. Of course, he will only use it to support the Tongmenghui. This is the nature of a revolutionary. At the same time, the League will naturally not let him lose his capital in vain. It doesn’t matter if he doesn’t have cash, and it’s not bad to push out some properties. The first step in restoring the family business.
The abacus was well calculated, and the other party could explain all aspects of the past without compromising his loyalty to the Tongmenghui. Next, he had to work step by step and find a way to get ammunition.
Of course, life is good these days. Apart from making revolutions, what should be benefited has to be benefited.Today is the seventh day of the first lunar month, and all the small businesses on the street have taken to the streets. Jin Shanqing ate a set of pancakes and two fried cakes for breakfast. His driver came early in the morning to the ear-eye alley outside the north gate and the southeast corner of the city. I bought it from my old man. The joy of revolution lies in living a good life.The fly in the ointment is the lack of a bowl of crispy rice. There is no way to do it. To eat crispy rice, you have to go there yourself. No matter how high you are, you have to squeeze on a bench with people who pull rubber and carry sacks. The taste is not right when you buy it. .
All of a sudden, the concierge brought in two films, a small white card, not belonging to our citizens.The film paper of the Qing Dynasty has big characters, red and white, and there is no need for such mourning stuff.
The name on one photo was Riichi Kamikaku, a hardware importer and exporter; the other said Masano Harada, an anthropology teacher.This pair is interesting.Jin Shanqing knew that the two most commonly used titles for the "special work" sent out by Japan were businessmen and scholars. Before and after the war between Japan and Russia in the Northeast, the Japanese Concession in Tianjin was full of these things.Of course, most of the time, that's who they really are, and the spy job is just a part-time job.
Li Yi on the upper corner doesn't look like it's grown yet, at most eighteen or nineteen years old, a small man with a fair face and wearing a pair of silver-rimmed glasses.Jin Shanqing lived in Japan for two years, and he knew that Japanese people don't look good. For people under thirty years old, if you add five years to the age you judge, they will probably be close to each other.
"Mr. Jin, it's a pleasure to meet you. It's a pleasure to meet you. I wanted to visit you a long time ago, but I didn't have the chance. I'm lucky today. Please give me your advice." Riichi Shangjiao spoke in an extraordinary Mandarin, mixed with a big 馇 (sound tea) He must have learned Chinese in the three eastern provinces.
Harada Zhengnan had a short and thick body, with a big head, bowed legs, and a moustache. Without saying a word, he bowed obstinately, and then moved his eyes between Jin Shanqing's throat, chest and abdomen.This man must be a thug.Jin Shanqing thought.
Jin Shanqing didn't follow them to bow, but just cupped his hands, let them sit down on the sofa, and didn't invite anyone to serve tea.
"What's the matter, you two? Say it briskly, we were in a hurry to tell people what's right; if you are all ashes, we won't keep you." Hidden fluent The mandarin is replaced by a local dialect, so that this kid who thinks he understands Chinese has a little trouble.
"We heard that Mr. Jin has a batch of goods in his hand, so we came here specially to talk about it." Shangjiao Li skipped Jin Shanqing's dialect and explained the purpose of coming directly.
"German paints, door locks, large bags of sewing needles, hardware tools, everything is available, or you can say it, the price is very cheap." These two boys are probably here for arms.Little Japan is very insidious, I don't know where to get the news. "If it's anything else, like smoky soil and white flour, there are plenty of them in your Japanese Concession, so you don't need to look for me."
"We want your batch of Krupp breech-loading seven-shot rifles." Riichi's small eyes flickered behind his glasses. "Your payment is 80,000 Yingyang, and the selling price is 120,000 yuan. We will give you 125,000 yuan and sell it to us."
The leather bag was opened, and bundles of banknotes were piled up on the table. They were all banknotes issued by the Yokohama Specie Bank in China, and each banknote was the largest denomination—ten yuan.
Everyone said that Little Japan was fine, and it was true. Where did they inquire so carefully? "You have inquired so clearly, why didn't you know that you came late, and the goods were all detained by the customs, and we men have made a fuss. Otherwise, I will order another batch of goods for you, but it will only be three months. Guaranteed to deliver." Jin Shanqing really wanted to cheat the money without mentioning the customs, but Little Japan was very difficult.
"If you think about it again, with King Jin's ability, there must be a way to get the goods out. The Japanese Empire has always been grateful, helping us with things, the benefits are great; causing us trouble, the trouble is great." Kakuri bowed, turned around and left, Harada Masanami packed up the money again and held it in his hand.The Japanese are famous for their narrow-mindedness, and it is true that "under a great reputation, there must be no worthless people".
"Stay where it's cool. Goodbye..." Standing at the door of the living room, Jin Shanqing didn't go out.Although the Japanese have a lot of power in China, they can't get on the table as dog meat, and they can't be polite.His favorites are the British and the Germans, and the rough and reckless Americans are better than the little Japanese.
However, these two boys just left?He knew these Orientals, and he believed in a way, and he did not stop until he hit a wall.The Japanese's own ammunition is not weak, and it was brought in from outside the customs, but it only took a day or two. Why did they go to such great lengths to stare at his batch of goods?There must be something tricky here.
Jin Shanqing was a little upset by the disturbance of the Orientals. The pancake fruit and ear-eye fried cake that he had just eaten had a war in his stomach, and pan-acidic water was poured up one by one, with the smell of mung bean noodles.According to medical theory, anger hurts the liver, sadness hurts the heart, and anxiety hurts the stomach.The appearance of Little Japan really had some influence on him.He had dealt with the Japanese a lot, and if he said he didn't take the threats they made before they left, it would be bragging. These guys only care about the purpose, and they don't care about the means. They are dangerous.
Originally, he planned to call the door to find Sanderson at home today, but it was a bit late if Little Japan delayed him.Open the door and look at the sky, the sun is shining brightly, there is no wind, and after the Spring Festival, it is indeed the appearance of the earth rejuvenating.I can't wear a big fur robe in this kind of weather, so I asked the servant to bring an ermine robe, and put on a warm hat of the same texture. If you are an "old catcher", you will be underestimated, and things will be messed up.
What do these Japanese radish bosses want German arms for?Sitting in the rickshaw, Jin Shanqing thought again.It must not be used for war, and their own guns are not weak.The minds of the Japanese are the most difficult to figure out. They have to dig through a small door like a dog hole to drink tea, let alone do other things?
Now we go back to the beginning of the story.When the rickshaw ran onto the French Bridge, he hadn't thought it through.However, Jin Shanqing has a very self-satisfied habit. If he can't think clearly about everything, he will never compete with himself, and let it go.In such a distracted effort, he didn't notice that when the rickshaw got off the bridge and turned south and ran into the Russian Concession, one rickshaw turned into five, and four young people sandwiched his car in the rickshaw .At the end, a horse-drawn sedan followed, taking it easy and pulling away a distance of more than ten feet.
Perhaps his driver sensed something was wrong and wanted to get out of the convoy, but as soon as he twisted the handlebar, the rickshaw behind him bumped into him, knocking Jin Shanqing's car over, and he flew out of the car and threw it firmly. At the gate of the vegetable market, four young men came up and hurriedly lifted Jin Shanqing, who was struggling desperately, and shouted: "Excuse me, excuse me, it's important to save people."With a shout, he was thrown into a horse-drawn sedan.There was a crack of the whip, and the curtain was lowered.A pistol was placed on his forehead, which was cool and useful; then, someone pulled up the large chilean vicuna scarf around his neck, and wrapped his head tightly, like Mayday The big zongzi offered.
The hooves of the horses were beating loudly on the stone pavement, and the string bells around the horse's neck were tinkling very clearly.
The ones who kidnapped him were definitely not Japanese, they were meticulous in their work and not so hasty, Jin Shanqing thought.It sounds like the string of copper bells around the horse's neck was at least 1.5 percent gold added when it was cast, otherwise, the sound would never be so crisp.This is what our Chinese men pay attention to.But it won't be someone from the patrol road. Firstly, those spies can't afford such a luxurious carriage, and secondly, they just caught him and released him only two days ago, so they won't catch him back so soon.
I don't know which kind of god has come to him again.Forget it, ever since dealing with the Revolutionary Party, he was often kidnapped suddenly, and he has long been used to it.He leaned his head on the shoulder of the person next to him, and said: "Excuse me, call at the boundary, let's stare for a while."
This is called taking a share.Let them also know that Tianjin Doll is not afraid of trouble.
Counter-revolutionary cadre: According to the memories of members of the Radical Progressive Party, there is no one like you in the Radical Progressive Party.You claim to be a member of the Radical Progressive Party, what purpose do you have?
Yue Qiuting: (Professing to be a descendant of Yue Zhongqi, a great general in the early Qing Dynasty. He is a fan of Nanshi. He has no worries, no jobs, lives off his family property, and his family business has been ruined.) Is there any thing about the Revolutionary Party that is fake?Isn't this bad?Who said this?I have to find him out and ask, if he is not happy, pockmarks are not called pockmarks—isn’t this a scam?Even if I'm not a working person and have a high status, I can't be prevented from joining the Revolutionary Party!You thought it was fun to start a revolution at that time?Losing your head is not for fun.If you want to talk about fun, I might as well go to Nanshi to listen to stuff and watch top banners for fun, why risk my life to get fat with the revolutionaries?
Counter-revolutionary cadre: What are you in a hurry?I just need to answer the question well, what are you doing so eagerly?
Yue Qiuting: You have to forgive me for this.I'm not trying to make a fool of myself, I'm born to speak like this.Why is our party called the "Radical Progressive Party"?Just because I have a quick temper, I want to quickly overthrow the reactionaries and overthrow the Qing Dynasty...
Counter-rebellion cadre: Did you participate in the kidnapping of Jin Shanqing?
Yue Qiuting: I don't do this kind of small things myself, I have my subordinates to do it, I just make arrangements, arrange the front and back scenes, don't sing the wrong words, mess up the outfit...
When Jin Shanqing woke up from this sleep, his eyes lit up, and he remembered that he had been kidnapped, presumably because the bell on the horse's neck stopped ringing, and the car reached the boundary, waking him up.
The scarf covering the head was put on the shoulders of the person next to him to his forehead. Looking out, the curtain of the car had been opened long ago, and three brick houses with green bricks and ridges could be seen outside. The connected house is three feet higher than this side.I see, it must be the cross yard of a big mansion.Suddenly a person appeared beside the carriage, before he could see his face clearly, he pulled down Jin Shanqing's scarf, blindfolded him, grabbed the skirt of his clothes and threw him out of the carriage into the yard.A voice with a local accent asked: "Where is the gun? Where are the bullets? Tell me quickly."
Before the sound of the word "Shuo" fell to the ground, Jin Shanqing felt that several people were in a hurry, crackling, and gave him a stinky beating, which caused him great pain all over his body. Pulling off the scarf, he jumped up from the ground.
"Did you have a funeral, or did you have malaria? Do you mean to do it when you come up? Want to have fun? Uncle Jin is with you, whoever is ambiguous is squatting and peeing." Jin Shanqing knew that these people could not be treated with common sense, so he Take out the energy you had when you were a dog boy.Although he didn't know who these people were, what he was most afraid of was meeting a bunch of gangsters, even worse than he was back then. "I don't even scan and listen, who is Uncle Jin? You are going to die when you are too old?" Only then did he see clearly that there were five or six young men around his age standing around, some of them were wearing purple mandarin jackets. Some of them were wearing sheepskin robes with barley ears, and they didn't hold anything with their bare hands, but they all looked like trainees, their shoulders were pricked, and the muscles on their necks were twisted.Two strips of leather hang down from a locust tree in the courtyard, and stone locks and stone poles are thrown on the ground.
"Hey, my lords, it's rare to see. My eyes are so clumsy that I can't recognize them. If you declare the name yourself, we can talk about it." He said, making a square bow, pressing his left hand on his right, with his thumb up, Follow local rules.As long as he meets people and can talk, Jin Shanqing's heart is in his stomach, and his brain is flexible.
"You are so small, why do you still ask about the brand name?" The young man in charge had a mole on his face, which ran from the left cheekbone around the corner of his eye, and crawled to his forehead, viciously, like Yang Zhi, a blue-faced beast. "Shall we talk to him?" He turned to his companion.
"I don't care." Everyone responded in unison, very angry, with a murmur.
"Tell me, where are your guns and bullets hidden?" the blue-faced beast asked again.
"What kind of gun?" As the saying goes: Blessings come like no other, but misfortunes never come singly.Here comes the trouble again.
"Return the gun." The blue-faced beast rushed up, and slapped Jin Shanqing again.
"Slow down. Who are you?"
"I'm telling you, what are you afraid of? Do you want to change your name or surname when you sit down? The radical party that wants to overthrow the Qing Dynasty is our men."
Jin Shanqing got up immediately, and said in a low voice: "Who am I supposed to be, so you are the Radical Progressive Party? I am Jin Shanqing! The League will let me contact you as soon as the Chinese New Year, and you continue to believe me?" He was not lying , in order to escape.Indeed, the Tongmenghui once gave him instructions to contact the Radical Progressive Party and try to help them become the largest party in the north, so as to contain those small parties that did not obey the command.
After the two parties sat down and talked about it, they finally realized that the members of the Radical Progressive Party only heard that his surname was Zhao from the smuggler circle, and they didn't know his real identity at all.The members of the Radical Progressive Party did follow the letter from the League, and they felt a little apologetic at this time. The leader, the blue-faced beast, rubbed his hands, his face was flushed, and sweat broke out on his forehead. Not knowing what to say, Suo Xing lifted his leather robe , knelt down on the ground, and made a big salute, and the others also knelt down.
Jin Shanqing also quickly knelt down in the courtyard, and did not return the courtesy.After seeing the ceremony, they went into the room to talk again, and each other said their names and identities. Only then did Jin Shanqing know that the leader of the man was Yang Zhiqiang, and his nickname was "green-faced beast". grain line).
"Offended, offended." Yang Zhiqiang held his hand again as a salute, and said, "I'm just born with a hairy temper, or I'd call it a Radical Party. There's no way, don't take it to heart."
At this time, if Jin Shanqing wanted to subdue these people for the League, he had to stop mentioning the beatings, and he had to show his outfield and loyalty enough to impress these people in front of him.You don't need to ask, you can see it clearly, these few people are rough enough. "Brother Yang said what he said. They are all brothers of his own family. We don't know each other if we don't fight. It's not that we have a dispute. I have something to do, I have to make friends with you friends." It may be to the temper of these people to let go of the local gangsters' tricks of making friends.
Sure enough, Yang Zhiqiang and the others were almost moved to tears.Jin Shanqing had a solid idea in her heart, these were also children of Tianjin Wei, and knew the local rules when speaking and doing things.It's easy to communicate with them.
"As for the gun thing?" Everyone's eyes lit up. "A few people are talking about it, what's the use of coming? It's absolutely unambiguous to help us."
"Is it still useful? Let's fight the country. Sun Wen had a lot of fun in the south, the provisional government was established, and the army was also established. But Yuan Shikai in the north is not a good guy. Don't look at Sun Wen giving him the president. Yes, our buddies are not angry, we have to touch him. With a gun, you can pull the team, and if you pull the team, you can fight the country. It doesn’t matter whoever sits in the fight. Brother Jin, you may also be the president for two days Isn't it?" Yang Zhiqiang's eyes lit up, he waved his thick arms like tree trunks, and he spoke smoothly, not as clumsy as when he apologized just now, obviously these meanings were well thought out.
Jin Shanqing has been in contact with more than half of the revolutionary parties in Tianjin Wei in the past six months. There are young masters making revolutions, and there are also poor people who are so poor that they can’t even eat enough to make revolutions, but only the Radical Progressive Party is the most interesting. There is no revolutionary theory at all, and the meaning in the words is a bit like "the princes and generals have kindness".
However, the rougher they are, the easier it is to accept new things, and the easier it is to adjust, which just happens to draw a group of northern teams for the League.Feeling happy, Jin Shanqing said: "I understand the meaning of everyone. In this way, I will leave the matter of the gun to me, no more, no less, and I will never let my brothers fail. What do you think?"
They were naturally cheering, and before they broke up, Yang Zhiqiang had to abide by the local rules of apologizing among the elderly, and carried Jin Shanqing to the carriage.
Jin Shanqing only briefly declined, he knew that with this back, even if the friendship between the two parties was forged, it would be limited if it was a little worse than Bai Jinlan.He supported the shoulders of the blue-faced beast as wide as a door with both hands. He had just walked into the courtyard when a small man in a satin leather robe and otter fur warm hat walked in from outside the courtyard. Oily, shouted: "Third brother, who is this master who recited it, introduce it to me..."
The person who came was Yue Qiuting.
After being kidnapped by the members of the Radical Progressive Party, Jin Shanqing was delayed for a while, so he had to go to the Fushou Tang Restaurant to meet Sanderson in the afternoon. Kung Fu, he can turn against you.How about Lafayette Cixi saying that they were transformed from dogs, they are really dog-tempered.
Sanderson is not at all like other British people. He does not live in the British Concession, but rents a house next to the Russian Embassy in the Russian Concession. Ferrying across the Haihe River, and giving the boatman an extra son every time, this is what I want.He has been in China for more than ten years, and he is very fond of Chinese things. His favorite is the small shoes of women with small feet and the smoking set for smoking big cigarettes. His favorite thing is to sit in a sedan chair for four people. There are no such things in the West.
The Fushou Soup Restaurant is located in Luzhuangzi, Nanshi. The front door is in Nanshi, and the back door faces Xu Street in the Japanese Concession.This area was considered the best bathhouse before the Yuqing Pool in Nanshi City was built, and most of the people who came to take a bath every afternoon were regular customers.There are few people in the morning, and those who come in the evening are all strangers, often foreigners who have no money to stay in the hotel, and they will spend the night here and take a bath by the way.As far as regular customers are concerned, most of them are idlers with money and nothing to do. For some reason, there have been more and more people passing by in Tianjin Wei for a hundred years. Maybe it’s because the money is rich in this place and it’s easy to make money. After acquiring the land and making a fortune, the disciples became idlers.
Sanderson arrives at Fushou Soup Restaurant on time at 4:30 every afternoon, or he doesn’t come, as long as he comes, he never misses the time when it’s windy or rainy.Therefore, whenever the big clock on the counter approached the second quarter of Shenchu, the bather Wang Jiu who watched the box would wait behind the Erlan cloth cotton curtain at the second door. Whenever Sanderson's big leather shoes showed his head, he would Then he raised the door curtain, straightened his neck and yelled loudly: "Number one, Mr. Sang, please..." Because, every day before Sanderson leaves, he will be rewarded with a dime.
Today, in addition to his usual high-pitched accent, his last word "please" was specially decorated with flowers, because there was a gentleman sitting on couch No. 10, and he was rewarded with a piece of eagle oyster when he entered the door. The young master Jin Shanqing came and was waiting for Sanderson.
Jin Shanqing and Sanderson arched their hands at each other, did not speak, and began to undress.Although the bathers next to him were not as surprised as before, there were still many people looking over here.
“有事找您商量。”金善卿不爱在澡溏子里洗澡，最厌恶的是这里的滑腻腻的木制塌拉板儿（拖鞋），只有出来应酬时，没有办法，才不得不来。谁让天津老爷儿们谈大事最常去的就是澡溏子和小班呢。
“汤里边说。”桑德森近来在学说本地话，数这一句讲得最地道，还外带挑着大拇哥。
浴池那间屋并不大，大点的是热水池，人不多，大流的堂腻都是午饭醉饱之后来洗，眼下在外边榻上午睡方醒，正喊茶房；小号的是焦池，里边三五个老人，有人正唱《文昭关》，汪大头的韵味十足，一见桑德森赤条条地进来，立马改唱《李陵碑》，把庚子年洋人拆天津城的那点悲愤都带出来了。
桑德森不可能懂这里边的深意，跳进池子溅起一片水花，径直坐在西北角上他那老位置。每天一过四点，这个角上就空出来了。
“哪天我也要练得能泡那个池子，还得学会段唱。那老先生，看着就惬意。”桑德森跟其他人一样，把脑袋枕在池边，身子在水中半浮着，闭上了眼。“人生得意须尽欢，是这么说吧？”
金善卿没有答话，这种闲扯可以随他去，不必每句必答。这是他跟洋人多年打交道总结出来的经验，中国人跟洋人打交道，最大的缺点不是兵器不如人，而是人家放个屁咱都搭腔，那样就不像个大国上人，反像个帮闲。他这会儿心里想的是，怎么运动桑德森，帮他把那批军火弄出来。不管这件事最终是他得利还是南京临时政府得利，反正不能白白便宜了袁世凯。为难的是，他如今还没想出个办法，怎么才能弄出那批货来，自己要是还没有主意，怎么求别人办事？他又犹豫了，这洋人身上的坏毛病挺多，他要是没准备好就跟桑德森谈，说不定这洋毛子倒翻儿了。
对面焦池里上来一个大胖老头儿，光屁股做着身段，口中唱的却是陈德霖的《贺后骂殿》，径自出去了。
这种事情金善卿已经习惯了。今天算是不错，上一次跟桑德森泡在池子里，对面有个老先生指着他的鼻子唱了大段的《骂王朗》，声情并茂，满池子彩声如雷。天津卫的老爷儿们见不得“汉奸”，最恨的就是“二毛子”、“三毛子”。
“找我什嘛死（么事）？”桑德森比别的洋人强的，他竟然把四声弄明白了，但本地口音的咬字他还不在行。
“没什么大事，想弄点便宜货，五金，不知道春城兄有没有办法。”金善卿与桑德森交谈，向来是正正经经地讲官话，而且不叫他洋名，只称他汉文的号——春城。
“大五金，小五金？”桑德森早就知道金善卿是个军火走私商，一直没明说，是因为他喜欢这个中国小伙子。再者说，虽说他在津海关里管着十名超等总巡——都是洋人，负责缉私的工作，但这海关不是大英利物浦海关，而是大清津海关，少点税收无关痛痒，发生暴动也跟他没多大关系。
“大五金。”大五金在私贩圈中多半是指军火。
“长的，短的？”
“长的，最好是德国货。”
桑德森笑了。“我就知道，丹麦船上的那批货是你的，对不对？”
“东西丢了损失不小。”金善卿觉得还是实话实说的好。“有没有办法？春城先生？”
桑德森在这么个节骨眼儿上睡着了。金善卿明白了，用本地话讲这叫“拿搪”，这洋小子一准有办法。可怎么把他这个办法钓出来呢？
他突然想起一件事来。桑德森在英国剑桥学的是人类学，到了中国，仍然没放下他的这点爱好，四处搜集各种有关的材料。话说去年秋天，也是在池子里泡着，桑德森问了他一句：“隐侯先生，”隐侯是金善卿的号。“中国女人缠小脚，我研究了有半年多，可就是没有机会亲眼看一看，可惜。有没有办法？”
混帐主意，小脚能让看么？金善卿当时一肚子气，没搭理他。中国女人缠小脚，连他亲爹都不让看，别说洋毛子？可如今为了革命，能不能想个办法？这事也太丢人了。
他瞅了一眼闭目假寐的桑德森，这个一脸褶子满身红毛混帐忘八蛋的洋鬼子，好什么不行，偏好这玩意儿。
“你研究了那么多年的烟具，没试试福寿膏的味道？”先从别处打主意。金善卿的话音撞到水气，四下里氤氲开来。
桑德森摇了摇红发浓密的大脑袋，道：“大英帝国的法律，鸦片只能药用，吸食鸦片的人要坐牢的。”
“你们根本不明白抽福寿膏是件什么事，那东西到了我们这里就不一样了。”宁可把他变成个大烟鬼也不能干那缺德事。洋鬼子看小脚，这话传出去，别说他这一辈子，后辈人也抬不起头来。“知道为什么叫福寿膏么？就因为那东西养人。”
“上瘾啊！”
“你每天吸板烟，没有瘾？你看我怎么样，早几年我也弄过那东西，只是近来忙，没功夫，就给忘了。”
桑德森坐起身来，眼睛注视着他，问：“你这话倒有点意思。”
有门儿了。金善卿一笑，道：“你别害怕，我不是让你抽，是让你看看，开开眼，长点见识。”
你要是就此学会了，那也不关我的事。洋人会抽大烟的并不少。金善卿这是依着当时的社会习惯，此时公认的坏事是抽白面、扎吗啡，这是要命的玩意儿，不能干；至于抽大烟，在富人来讲是家常事，算不得太大的罪过。
日本人再找到金善卿时，便只来了上角利一一个人，还带着一脸的笑纹，躬鞠得也深了好多。
“金先生，我请你吃饭，咪西咪西，大大的。”
“你们那饭食我吃不来，喂鸡赛的一点点东西，还净是些个生鱼生肉，不合君子人的胃口。”金善卿的脑袋摇得像拨郎鼓，心中想的是，小日本子不安好心，我倒要看看你们葫芦里卖的是什么药。要是能就此把他们打发了，那就再好不过了。就算是打发不了，也可摸摸底细。
“中国菜，好吃的中国菜，熟得很。”上角利一又是一躬到地。“您的军火给津海关扣了，我们帮你想办法。”
“你们会有办法？”大事不好，小日本要掺和进这件事里来，就有得麻烦了。
“拍卖地干活，海关拍卖，我们买。怎么样？你的有报酬，大大的。”津海关没收的走私品，每三个月公开拍卖一次。
“那还早着呢，着什么急？”三个月的功夫，什么事都可能发生，而且，军火不可能被拍卖。“再者说，他卖他的，你们买你们的，关我什么事情？”
“有关的，好处大大的。”上角利一拉着金善卿便出了门。门口两辆洋车等在那里，他一上车便叫：“聚和成饭庄，快快的。”
“要想吃饭得听我的。”金善卿心中有数，不能由着小日本的安排。
“那个，吃的听你的，玩的听我的，那个才是朋友。”上角利一脸上笑出一朵喇叭花来，兴奋得很。
这小子憋什么坏呢？金善卿一边指挥洋车夫奔南市，一边提醒自己。
洋车一路跑来，从英租界，经法租界，又穿过日租界，这才来到南市，街边上大大小小的饭庄子成百，东南西北各路吃食都有，金善卿却没叫停车，一直等跑到杂耍场子的南头，这才叫洋车停下来，他撩起皮袍的下摆，下了洋车，上角利一早已跑到他跟前。
“咪西的在哪边？”往北望去，一眼望不到边的粗布帐子和篱笆灯围墙，圈着一小块一小块的场地，中间也有不少空场，正是中午吃饭的当口，没什么人，练把式、唱玩意儿的也歇晌了。
“往这边看，咪西的这边。”金善卿在日本留学两年多，日本话讲得极好，但跟这小日本不能露。
南边有一条几十丈长的矮墙，墙壁上早已让经年的柴火给熏得乌黑，墙根下一拉溜几十个小吃摊，围着百十号食客，大多是在跟前挣饭吃的苦人儿。
“这里？”上角利一的眼睛在眼镜后边睁得溜圆。
“就这儿。”日本人最爱干净，今儿个让他也恶心恶心。
一口四尺口径的浅锅，边上围着七八个汉子，唏哩呼噜吃得山响。往锅里看，浑沌沌，乌澄澄，油腻腻，烂糟糟地一锅黑汤，滚滚热气蒸腾而上，还一个劲地咕嘟咕嘟冒泡；一只洋打皮打就的隔断，将锅分成十来个隔子，每人守着一个隔子，各吃各的，里边是什么东西，上角利一没看清楚。
“金大少，老没见了。”掌勺的胖子一脸油光，嗓门儿大得吓人。“您了跟这位洋学生拼这锅。”上角利一穿的是洋服。
围着锅的是一圈长凳，上边浮着一层柴灰，上角利一一鞠躬，在凳子上铺了块手帕，坐了下来。边上那七八条汉子一下子就认出他是个日本人，脸色立马就变了，一声躁喊：“锅头儿，把肉打出来，换个地儿。这锅汤要变味。”便都挪到别处去了。好大一口锅，只剩下他们两个人。
金善卿心中得意，拍了拍上角利一的屁股，让他站起来。“吃这东西不能坐着，站着吃顺气和胃。”
大胖子锅头儿提着笊篱走过来，还没张口，见金善卿跟他一挤眼儿，他便又回去了，转来时，手里两只粗瓷大碗，一只给了金善卿，另一只交给了上角利一，跟着两个人面前的隔子里各下了一堆乌糟糟像是肉类的东西，贴锅边还给煮上两只火烧。
金善卿撩起皮袍下摆，一只脚跐着凳子，一手端酒碗，一手拿着尺半长的大筷子，道：“请！”下手捡了块肺头，扔进嘴里，吱溜，来了一口酒，眼斜着上角利一。
日本男人都好酒，上角利一先嗅了嗅酒碗，尝了一小口。“好酒。”酒味浓烈得紧（用现在的话说，胖锅头儿给他的这碗酒，得合75度），他的两眼当即亮了起来。
“再尝尝锅里的。”
上角利一小心地用筷子在汤挑了半天，择出一小块不太难看的放在嘴里，才刚一嚼，眼镜险些掉下来，惊道：“嗯，这是什么好东西？”
“吃吧，小子。不是在天津卫，你没这口福。”金善卿有一点点的失望，这锅汤竟然没把他吓住。“这锅里最主要的一味香料，就是大大有名的罂粟壳，药铺子里有的卖。”
“在日本禁止用这东西。好东西。”又吃了一筷子。
一大碗烈酒下肚，上角利一的小脸白得没有一丝血色，两只眼睛却红得赛小兔。
“再给这伙计来一碗。”金善卿高兴了。“我说，你们自己有得是军火，要我那批德国货有么用？”
“哈哈，告诉你也没什么，啊，大不了的。”上角利一用一条腿支撑着身子有些费力了，但他仍努力保持着身体平衡，不让醉态露出来。“你知道宝坻县的陈瘸子么？枪是给他的。”
陈瘸子是宝坻县出了名的大土匪头子，绑票勒索是他的拿手好戏，他什么时候跟小日本打上连连了？莫不是日本人要利用他干什么坏事不成……
“这枪在津海关缉私仓库里藏着，抢也抢不成，拍卖更是没门儿，甭想了。”小日本不干好事，军火不能给他们。
“你不要玩花样儿，我的全都明白。”上角利一真的有些醉了。“桑春城，桑德森是你的大大的朋友，心交心交的，让他想办法。”
“他不会干。”
“一定会干，你刚刚找过他，我们的知道，能行……”
“我要是不干呢？”
“你我两个人，统统死啦死啦地，明白？”
金善卿没明白，他说的死啦死啦地，是他办事不成，上司让他死啦死啦，还是要跟我拼命，一起死啦死啦？It's not easy to ask.不过，能套出这批军火日后的去向，也是一大收获，应当马上上报南京临时政府。no!转念一想又改了主意，那也会惹来麻烦。
这时，他们这口冷清了半天的大锅，围上来四五个人。金善卿抬头一看，是急进党的杨志强带着他的手下，脸色暗沉如锅底，眼睛都盯着上角利一。
后边又挤上来的是岳秋亭，高声叫：“三哥，老没见了。哟，金大少……”
镇反干部：金善卿跟你是什么关系？
岳秋亭：那是哥们。我们哥俩好的跟一个人赛的。宣统三年，那会儿汪精卫还没遣散北方革命党，我跟金善卿天天在一块儿，不信你问问他，他是同盟会派来的，对我最了解不过了。那一阵子，我们俩天天在南市进进出出，新开的苏州小班、上海书寓，就是我们的接头地点。我是不行了，钱袋没金大少的沉，要让我说，逛南班纯粹是冤大头，打一个茶围三块大洋，又不想住夜，有病不是？还不如上侯家后，宣统时侯家后的班子还没全往南市迁，那的清吟小班，多是北方的姐儿，一个茶围一块钱。不就是找个接头的地界，顺便找点乐子么？省一个是一个，留着听相声也不错。
镇反干部：接头干什么？
岳秋亭：干革命啊！我领导的急进党要跟同盟会联合起来，一起推翻三座大山，打倒美帝国主义，解放全中国，让劳动人民当家做主人……
镇反干部：你真的认得金善卿？
岳秋亭：这是哪的话？当然认得。像我这样的老革命，在这地界已经不多了，要不我可以找出一大帮证人。我说，我写的那个申请，依着你们给老革命安排晚年生活的条文，怎么样了？什么时候给答复？
自己是聪明反被聪明误。金善卿在心里对自己有一点点的责备，不该为了找乐儿，把上角利一带到南市来，这地界他熟人太多，而天津卫老爷儿们最厌恶的就是小日本儿。
因为急进党，连火烧他都没吃，便匆匆告别，只能另找机会再跟他们解释了。他的脑子转得飞快，但脑袋却是东摇西晃，装出比上角利一醉得还厉害。不该答应这小子，玩归他安排？这里边涉及的东西就太多了，万一自己不擅长，或是玩到日本窑子里边去，那反到让这日本小子给玩儿了。
两个人挤在一辆洋车上，上角利一的脑袋倚着金善卿的肩，嘴里哼哼着日本小调，洋车夫拉着他们七转八拐，八拐七转，来到了日租界曙街。
得，那话儿说来就来了。曙街是日租界特地开设的“游廊街”，日本妓院、酒馆集中在这里，也同样是夜夜笙歌。这种地方金善卿在日本相当在行，但今天他不想来。
洋车停在一所日式建筑门前，大门两边，一边挂着纸扇，另一边挂着把笤帚，门口半截蓝布帘上两个大白字——嫩菜，正是间地地道道的日本窑子。
“里边的，快快的。”酒醉的上角利一舌头也大了，中国话加日本话，硬拉着金善卿往里走。边上车夫也上来架住他。
他妈的，一看这双小短腿，这车夫也是个小日本。自己太大意了，竟没注意到。事到如今，不进去怕是要吃亏。
进就进，谁怕谁？不就是逛窑子么？在日本留学时，日本窑子逛得还少？
猛地，从蓝布帘后边跳出一条精瘦的汉子，光着两条腿，穿件短褂，冲着金善卿的长袍、马褂大骂：“八格，混蛋。”
原来是个高丽王八。没等金善卿说话，上角利一伸手给了那人一个大耳光，又从衣袋里摸出个小小的徵章在那人眼前一晃，高丽王八的脖子一下子缩了回去，顺势弯下腰来，做了个请君入内的手势。
在房中，上角利一像根木橛子一般，硬橛橛地跪坐在那里，金善卿盘腿坐在他对面，从袖中摸出香烟来抽。他没有碰女仆送上来的香烟与清茶，尽管他口渴得很，小日本花招大大的，那里边说不定下了药。
木隔扇门被拉开，一个着和服的女人爬进来，五体投地地给金善卿行了个大礼，便从他背后绕过去，开始往榻榻米上铺被子。
上角利一两手支膝，弯腰低头，行了一礼，道：“请好好享用，大日本天皇请客。”便起身出去了，脚步利落得很。
这个日本小混蛋，原来他根本就没醉。
那女人凑到他身边，又行一礼，伏在那里不动。
pity!日本女人不缠足，她们要是缠足，满可以把桑德森领到这儿来，倒省了不少麻烦。金善卿暗想。
“请多多关照。”日本的燕语莺声。
那女子一抬头，金善卿看清楚了模样。他妈的小日本小萝卜头儿真真的不是玩意儿，看那张切片大苹果赛的脸形，任谁都明白，原来这是个高丽女人。
可怜见的，亡国之人。他更为难了。
再见到桑德森，还是在福寿汤馆，午后四点半，九号和十号榻上。金善卿的出现，依旧是招来浴倌王九的跑前跑后和四周浴客的白眼相向。
今天两个人没泡澡，金善卿领着桑德森往南走了一段路，拐了几个弯，来到息游别墅。天津地面上每个月的鸦片交易量极大，集散地就在日租界，主要是在德义楼和息游别墅两个旅馆，同时，这里也是著名的大烟馆，常年的客人，有的为了抽烟在这里包着房子。
金善卿订了间套房，房间的布置不中不西，里间有西式的高架铜床，弹簧床垫，外间是一张红木雕花的烟榻，嵌着玻璃砖的镜子。
桑德森学着金善卿的样子，斜倚在烟榻上，头下的犀皮枕头很硬，不舒服，但他没说什么。跟着本地人出来开眼，要多看多学，不懂也不要忙着问。他在东方呆了十几年，已经学会与东方人打交道的基本手法。
一个花信之年的女人走了进来，向两个人各福了一福，并没有因桑德森的红发碧眼吃惊，一派见多识广的样子。她取来一张红木春凳垫在桑德森伸出榻外的脚下，又拿张俄国毯子给他连腿带脚地裹住。
桑德森忽然爬起身来，向那女人的脚上看了看，羞得她满脸发红，用裙子遮住双脚，挎在榻沿上，打起烟泡来。
这女人是金善卿特地在门房中的一群烧烟女中挑出来的，天足，未曾裹脚。
“中国女人还有大脚的？”桑德森大为诧异。
金善卿没搭腔，他绝不再跟桑德森谈小脚的事。洋人即使中国话说得再好，他仍旧是洋人，不懂得中国规矩。
烧烟女打开随身带来的一只小木匣，里边有七八只白磁烟盒，用烟钎子挑了一滴烟膏，在太谷灯上转着略烤一烤，乘热用手搓成一个小小的葫芦形，又放在灯上烤。她的手细白，洁净，干这一行，手上不能有一点香味或油脂，污了烟膏，客人要发脾气的。
桑德森显然是头一回经历这种事，眼睛随着烧烟女的手转，连她的身形、姿态，还有似是因用力而微微歪向一边的头和缩在膝下的双足都未放过。
烟膏随捏随烤，一点点地涨鼓起来，最后形成一个色泽金黄，橄榄般又高又壮，质地松脆的烟泡，这是真正行家的手艺，也是吸引众多烟客上门的手段，不是寻常住家妇女能够弄得来的。烧烟女将烟泡取下来，又拿支银钎子在上边刺了一个上下贯通的孔，这才安在紫砂斗上，眼睛在他们二人身上逡巡。
金善卿伸手接过烟枪，就着烟灯，缓缓地吸了一口。他已经有几年没碰这东西了，上来不能吸得太猛，免得醉了出丑。所以，那股稠如蜜浆的烟气，他没有让它在肺中停留，便沉着而有力地喷了出来。
桑德森的两眼正紧盯着烟泡在无色的火焰中融化、焦化，不觉间，一股馥郁郁、腻沉沉、妖妖娆娆又搜心挖窍的香气扑面而来，从鼻端上奔灵台，下抵小腹，一股子说不出来的受用涌上心头，恨不得将身子就此飘浮于这股烟云之上，再不作他想了。
那烧烟女显然发现了桑德森身上的变化，想笑又不敢，只好别过脸去，将下巴抵住肩头。
当桑德林的头离开枕头，停留在半空中的时候，金善卿把烟枪放回到烟盘中，捻了一粒提神通窍的秘制薄荷糖塞在桑德森的嘴中，好让他从烟迷中醒过来。不管怎么说，桑德森也算是他的朋友，从他的表情中可以清楚地看出来，此人与其他洋人一样，对鸦片的敏感远远超过中国人，一旦成瘾，必定不能自拔。不能因为自己的事害了他。金善卿不由得可怜起这远离故国的家伙，便又改了主意。
“怎么样？”见桑德森的两眼收敛起迷离，重又清明的时候，金善卿问。
桑德森大张着嘴，没有说出话来。
金善卿拍了拍烧烟女的脊背，将她打发出去，笑着对桑德森道