Chapter 8 Chinese silk

At night, the street has a special flavor.Beijingers like to put up banners and banners at the door, and write the name of the store or the words of auspicious fortune.The children were carrying small orange lanterns, and the adults were carrying lanterns. The tongue-rolling smooth accent of the local residents could be heard from a long distance, but it sounded like a ditty when you listened closer.In addition to calligraphy and paintings, the shop has hanging scrolls and large fans on the walls.Unlike the south, where there is always rain, winter in Beijing is always sunny, and the sky is dark blue at night, which is very peaceful.

Min doesn't stay in a hotel every night, sometimes at home.She said that there are few Westerners in Beijing, and even in hotels run by Westerners, they are easy to provoke.Fortunately, it is winter, you can wrap your face in a scarf collar.Min may also be worried that his father has many wives and concubines, gossip, gossip, and gossip.But everyone knows that she has received modern higher education, is a famous poet, and has many contacts with foreigners.When she stayed at Julian's Hotel, she gave the family the excuse that she was staying at a friend's house.But in Beijing, where there are many acquaintances and friends, she avoids them all, and has no intention of meeting people.

The sky is also blue during the day.After entering the park, there are fewer people and the hustle and bustle of the city is lighter.They are going to climb Jingshan.Min said, "You can see far from a height. How many generations of emperors have settled down here, and how many treasures are buried underground." Julian said, "Why don't you go to a remote place? While someone is digging an ancient tomb, pick up something, bring it back to England, and show it to my mother and aunt." "Good idea. Let's go tonight." Min said, "Dream." Today she is dressed as a lady from a wealthy family, blue satin pants, lace is bay green, inlaid with silver thread, and the jacket hanging high on both shoulders is bright yellow satin , quilted to accentuate her waist.She wears leather boots, but she looks like a bannerman, especially with her braided hair tied on top of her head.In Beijing, her attire changed every day, which dazzled Julian. 

The sexual desire that had been burning for three months, after getting enough catharsis in one day and one night, Min began to take Julian on a tour of Beijing, but divided part of the time of making love on the bed outside the hotel.Julian thought that she must be doing this because she felt that he was too early to learn sex skills, and she couldn't ask too much of him, at least not make him afraid of sex, or really fall ill. Min points out to him an old tree that he says is the place where the last Ming emperor hanged himself when the Peasant Revolution engulfed Beijing.Julian saw no difference between the tree and the others.As if responding to him, as soon as he turned his face, two black crows were calling on the bare branches.

"In winter, there are many birds, and crows are the most." Min said, "If the crows don't sing, it will be difficult. If the crows call, it will be smooth after spring. In spring, there will be magpies, which will make people happy." "What's the meaning of crow and magpie calling together?" asked Julian. "No way?" "I actually heard the magpies calling." "I thought you were joking. I don't know about that either." Min dragged him up the Jingshan pavilion in one breath.This place can be regarded as the commanding height of Beijing. Looking around, the whole Beijing can be seen at a glance, magnificent.

The Forbidden City has a series of gates, all the way to Tiananmen Square in front, neatly like a chessboard.The whole of Beijing is also a big chessboard, with the east and west cities facing each other across the central axis.To the northwest of the city, the Summer Palace, the Longevity Hill, there are white jade bridges, brightly colored buildings. It’s good to climb high, not only can you see far, but also there is plenty of sunshine, and Julian’s eyes are full of scenery. At this time, Min said that Beijing was actually warmer this winter than before, and the snow had melted earlier.

Julian nodded, it was indeed not as cold as it was described in the book. He feels that the Chinese really know how to live comfortably, and even the buildings pursue the most beautiful colors, and the garden is the most elegant layout.The Summer Palace, the Forbidden City, the Ming Tombs, and the Great Wall are all majestic and majestic.Who has the Chinese royal family who would enjoy it and have the guts to build the Summer Palace with the money spent on building the navy?What a great idea, otherwise the garden would have sunk to the bottom of the sea.Not only the royal family, but those wealthy families, once they have money and power, they will have pavilions, weeping willows, and lotus floating on the water. There must be groups of wives and concubines in the house, singing and dancing. The first thing they think about is how to get the joy of life in life.And although he has only one lover, the pattern of making love is constantly changing. It seems that he has become a series of women. Compared with Chinese men with many wives and concubines, he should be satisfied.

Min took Julian's arm and put her hand in the pocket of his coat. There was no one here, and she looked relaxed.On the streets of the city, she always refused to walk beside him. "Are you cold?" Min asked as he took off his bay blue fluffy scarf, and tiptoed to tie it on for Julian, with one end in front and the other behind his back, This enclosure is more elegant. She is really not afraid of the cold. Under the bright sun, her lips and face are red with cold.She is so beautiful and elegant.She dresses lightly and delicately, showing off her figure. The stone steps were long and steep, and she walked more briskly than him.Halfway down the mountain, he had to stop.This transparent blue sky, this brown dead tree, this still green pine branch, this rockery and grass covered with a light layer of hoarfrost.Min said that she liked Beijing better than Qingdao, and so did he.With Min by his side, Beijing is completely different.

He told Min about his feelings. Min smiled and said, "You talk about empathy in class, do you dare to give this example? An ancient Chinese poem says: I see how charming Qingshan is, and I think Qingshan should be like this when I see it. The ancients wrote it especially for you, Julian." She When she laughed, her voice was crunchy, infecting people to laugh with her. What an amazing woman!Min is natural and sensitive, full of wisdom, kind-hearted, and has a sense of humor that is rare among Chinese people.She is brave, holds life firmly with both hands, and knows how to make men happy and make herself happy at the same time.

Julian had his own judgment, and if she was really the most charming and pleasing woman I ever knew, she would be my mother's favorite daughter-in-law—because of her two personalities, she pleased him in bed, Delight everyone at the table.  Julian asked Min curiously, where did he get so many different outfits?In fact, Min said, almost all of them were worn before marriage. They were stored at home in Beijing. The clothes were protected from insects with camphor, and the servants at home smoked them with vanilla before wearing them. Julian looked at Min. This Chinese woman became more and more unfamiliar. The strangeness made her mysterious and surprised him. Min's eyes and gait fascinated him more and more.Of course, the main reason was that she took off the public attire of a female intellectual. Even though she was always dressed well, it was not as suitable as this elegant and gorgeous rich lady's attire.

"Where can I get such satin here?" asked Julian.He touched the cotton-padded satin, thinking what kind of woman's body could be wrapped in such a comfortable and beautiful color?Min saw his expression, paused before saying, "I'll take you right away." They went directly to the largest cloth shop, in the downtown area of ​​Dashilan.The two stepped into the high threshold, and the owner of the cloth village warmly greeted them. Julian only asked Min to nod his head. He glanced at the silk satin and bought five bolts of silk in various designs. He ordered two bolts of the bamboo plum orchid satin on Min's body. "Can it be sent to England?" he asked. "No problem." Boss Buzhuang and Min said almost at the same time.Julian took the paper and pen respectfully handed over by the owner of the cloth shop, and instead of sitting down, he stood and wrote his mother's address in England. Min said to the owner of the cloth shop: "The money is in my name." She issued a money invoice, and the shipping fee was added to the freight. Julian didn't rush to pay, not only because of his language barrier.Min already understood where the offensive breakthrough should be.Seeing his silence, Min said, "Westerners don't argue, right? It's a Chinese habit to rush to pay bills. Next time you pay the bill." Julian realized that although China was poor, the wealthy families in China were still much richer than his family of Western intellectuals.The splendor of Beijing was beyond his imagination and dazzled him. The owner of the cloth shop nodded and bowed, and said in broken English, "It's a gift, not a respect!" He thanked Julian for doing a lot of business for the cloth shop today.The boss gave Julian two exquisitely crafted glass fish with blue and silver threads on an orange background as a gift, and guaranteed safe delivery to England. Julian wrote two addresses, besides his mother's, and Aunt Virginia's.The boss is sure to please this foreigner, and this beauty will be happy. Min nodded slightly to the boss to express his appreciation.The sunlight passing through the buildings on both sides of the street is shining on her, she is serene and noble, like a heroine on a stage. When they walked out of the store, Julian suddenly felt that his pride as a Westerner might really be very empty. He looked at Lu dejectedly and kept silent, while Min looked at him, his eyes were the love of his sister for his little brother. "Don't be upset, delivery man, I wrote your name, your mother won't know." She must have known that he never concealed such things when he wrote letters.He knew that she was reminding him that she was not imposing. The sun is good. The two walked slowly on Dashilan Central Street, Min intentionally kept a distance and fell behind.They all love the sunshine, and they also love to look at the shop windows with different decorations.The little girl's cotton-padded jacket is pretty, with thin eyebrows and eyes, so cute.The girl who sells flowers on the street has several kinds of goods. "Spring is early," said Julian.