Chapter 5 Marble (excerpt)-2

Ma Bole's father saw that he was very loyal, so he asked him to come to the house as a handyman, sweeping the yard and so on.He was given three free meals a day, porridge in the morning, and stick flour pancakes for lunch and dinner. Originally, there was a cart puller in his family. The cart puller ran fast and had no other problems, but his monthly salary was ten yuan.If you let this handyman also pull the cart, you can save ten yuan in monthly expenses. Soon the cart driver was dismissed and replaced by this pale man.He pulled the cart and walked very slowly. If he encountered an uphill road, he would pull while foaming like a sick horse.He was panting so badly that he seemed to be falling down, and he had no strength at all.

Ma Bole's father was sitting in the car, although he was a little anxious, but he still thought it was a good idea: "If he runs fast, can he not want money? The Lord Jesus said that a person should not be too greedy for cheap." What's more, Ma Bole's father preached the compassionate way of the Lord Jesus. He felt very safe sitting in such a slow car. He felt that a poor and sick person should not be punished. Ma Pile's father got out of the car when he got out of the car. Seeing the driver coughing and wheezing, he thought to himself: "You poor man!" So he opened his pocket, took out five copper coins and asked him to Go drink a bowl of hot tea or it will be better.

One day the old man saw that he was panting too much and shrank into a ball like a caterpillar, so he took a dime note and threw it to him.The coachman was very moved. He picked it up and saw that the bill was new and hard.He didn't use it, and when the old man came out, he returned it to him.The old man waved his hand no. The coachman thought about it, there was no one who treated me badly from the Ma family. The old lady often gave me pepper wine when she saw that I was not good.It's just that the young master is not close, the young master is not very merciful, but he is not bad to me.

So the coachman bought a picture of the Virgin Mary with the dime and presented it to the old lady. The old lady prayed for the coachman at that time, and also called the little girl and the mother, telling them to see that this was the sincerity of the coachman to Jesus. One day the coachman came back with the old man, and he died as soon as he put down the cart. Ma Bole advocated carrying him to the nearby Liren Hospital.father said: "That's a hospital for foreigners, how much does it cost!" Marble said: "It's not to treat him, it's because there is a morgue in the hospital."

Father asked: "Is he dying?" Marble said: "He is going to die. With so many children in our family, can he die in this yard?" After a long time, the street was crowded with people, and the coachman was lying outside the gate, frothing terribly at the mouth. Mabel's father came out and prayed for the coachman: "My Lord's Father in heaven, you save the poor a lot. If you save this dying man, those who don't believe in the Lord will all come to believe in you upon hearing the news...My Lord, Father in heaven..." The old lady stood in the gate, wiping her eyes, and she felt sorry for such a helpless person.

The onlookers on the street watched quietly without saying a word.Only the mother-in-law said to the old man several times: "Carry him into the house, he can't die." The old man shook his head and said: "My Lord Jesus, I do not like narrow places." Mother Terrier went to the old lady and said: "Bring him in!" The old lady wiped her tears and said, "Speak up!" So the coachman stood outside the gate, letting the sun bask in the sun, surrounded by hundreds of people. The driver did not die. He was yelled at by the old lady today, and he knelt in the hole at the gate.

But he didn't know what Young Master Lida was praying for, and at the same time, people passing by on the street kept looking at him, so he had to raise his hands to cover his face.But his hands were wiping the headlights, and they smelled of lamp oil. He saw that the old lady had also gone upstairs, and he stood up. The prayers were loud on this day, unlike the usual vespers.The sound was humming, and it seemed that someone was crying.The coachman thought: "You cry in the chapel, why are you crying at home?" The coachman couldn't hear it well, most likely because of misfortune.He hurried into the house, closed the door, bowed his head reverently to the icon, and muttered loudly:

"Lord, Jesus, your Lord of thousands of souls, don't bring disaster on our young master... don't send disaster on our young master... I used to think he was a cruel person, but I only know it since yesterday He's a nice guy. God, he gave me two dollars back yesterday...yesterday." Ma Bole rewarded him with two dollars for leaving home, so the coachman yelled for him. The messenger came and knocked on the porter's window, but when no one answered, he threw the letter through the window.He looked through the window and saw a man kneeling on the ground, he called out:

"letter!" There was no answer from inside, he felt strange, and heard buzzing upstairs and downstairs in the yard. In this city, Christianity is very popular, and there are many believers in the messenger. He knows that they are praying. He looks at the watch in his hand and knows that it is not yet time for evening prayer. " If it is not at the time of evening prayer, the collective prayer is rare, and it probably happened, something.This is true of a newborn baby, because babies receive their life from Jesus.Someone left the world, and everyone hopes that he can return to his master, so everyone also prays for him.

The messenger looked in through the gate, but saw no one.Two or three ducks trampled around the screen wall.The messenger walked into the yard again, and saw the little girl kneeling in the corridor, so he jumped out in one step, feeling puzzled. He went to the next door to deliver a letter, and he told the situation to the porter. The gatekeeper ran to the gate of the Ma Mansion and stood there for a while, then told the maid when he returned, and the maid told the eldest lady. After a while, a large crowd gathered outside the gate of the Ma Mansion.Because this group of people were irrelevant, they didn't dare to go in and ask, and they all stood there looking inside.

Some thought that Mr. Ma was dead, and some thought that Young Master Sun had a fever the day before yesterday, maybe he was seriously ill. There are also some passers-by who stop there when they see someone parked there. They don't know anything at all and just stand there for nothing. The old cook of the Ma Mansion, wearing a blue apron and carrying a flat wine bottle burnt from clay, came back from the street with a smile.When he reached the gate, those people stopped him and asked him: "What happened to your mansion? What's the matter?" He said, "Nothing, nothing!" People hugged him.He said: "Don't squeeze, don't squeeze, I'm going to drink." ` As soon as he entered the yard, he heard upstairs and downstairs, all praying.As soon as he opened the door of the kitchen, he saw the mother kneeling there, and the mother was crying like everyone in tears.He quickly put down the jug and knelt down. Marble had only received such a solemn prayer twice in his life.Once when he was born, when he was very small, he didn't know it at all.Well it's only this time, so it's him who feels dignified, he feels restless. Soon he opened a bookstore in Shanghai with the money his father sponsored him. Now let's talk about whether his father sponsored him three thousand yuan or a few hundred yuan, outsiders can't know in detail.He met a rich man, and he said three thousand.When he met his poor friend, he said: "That's a lot, and it's only a few hundred yuan. Father is like a safe, and you don't have to think about jumping out of him for one more copper coin." "That's what you said." Ma Bole greeted his poor friend, "Should we eat or not? Go downstairs, let's go!" He was not in the habit of wearing a hat, so he just tightened his belt and went downstairs. He walked in front, very generous.When he reached the entrance of the alley, he only gave his friends two roads, one to the left and the other to the right.Ask them if they want glutinous rice balls or dumplings. Ma Bole said that the shop he opened was a three-story house on a secluded street in the French Concession. Ma Bole's bookstore is very spacious, the sales department is located downstairs, the second floor is the office, which is his private, and the third floor is the bedroom of the staff (his staff are just a few poor friends he made in Shanghai last time) . There are six or seven rooms in the house, and five or six writing desks, each with a large piece of glass.Ink bottles, scissors, paste, thumbtacks, these odds and ends cost more than 50 yuan. In the kitchen, please go to Auntie, light the fire, and turn on the stove.If rich friends come, the kitchen will steam chicken, duck, fish, meat, all kinds of aromas, and invite guests to a feast. For example, those who can write a little poetry, or those who will write in the future but have not yet written, or those who plan to start writing soon, or novelists who are collecting materials... These are the people, etc. Marble is most welcome .He made these new friends in a few days.They are simply best friends, no matter who they are, they eat when they want to eat and drink when they want to drink, everything can be discussed, and nothing is a problem. Ma Bole saw that this business would not be a problem in the future, and it would not be a problem for them to provide articles in the future.Because it is not the friendship of the merchants, the merchants are based on Lihe, but they are based on Dao.They can talk to each other very well. Ma Bole also talked about his previous plans to write novels.But he didn't mention a single word about the fact that he wrote novels in order to sell some manuscript fees. He only talked about his central theme, that he wanted to use articles to save the Chinese nation. "It's true that our nation must use our pens to awaken it. Whose responsibility is this... This is the responsibility of each of us." When Ma Bole was happy, he never failed to say this to his guests. So everyone recognized that Ma Bole was the most promising person in the future. Talking to each other, pushing windows open, pulling chairs around.Sideways, slanted, and some put their weight on the two hind legs of the chair, and the front legs of the chair are raised, which looks very dangerous.But the person sitting on the chair raised his feet high on the desk, didn't care at all, and was at ease.He slowly wiped the heels of his leather shoes on the glass block in the middle of the table. He bought me one and sent it.Russian stuff is really good. " Marble said: "very good." Besides, in the bookstore that sells Russian pictures, everyone is not far behind. What happened to the bookstore.Some said: "It's not long since the door opened." Some said: "No, it was moved from Nanjing Road." One said he noticed it two years ago.At this point another man got up and threw the end of a cigarette through the window into the garden.The man was with his wife, and the wife said: "Look at you, how do you throw cigarette butts into the garden, flowers can't see smoke." Ma Bole came over and said it was all right. "What are these flowers? There are no good flowers at all." But everyone's topic is still not interrupted.The person who threw the cigarette tail published a richer and more correct story about the bookstore. He said that he had a nephew who had been to Vladivostok before and learned good Russian.He is the translator of the bookstore owner. "What is the name of the boss? It's called...Doninke... Once, when I went to the bookstore, my nephew introduced it to me, but I can't remember it now. In short, he is a pure Russian. From his loud laughter, one can tell that the Russians are different from other countries, and the Russians have their great courage..." He knew that his own words were getting further and further away, so he pulled them back: "That bookstore is not opened by an American, nor is it from Nanjing Road, but from Moscow. It was recently, that is, this spring." Regarding such a bookstore that everyone thinks is going forward, Ma Pole feels that he is too backward if he doesn't stand up and say a few words.But what is he going to say!In fact, he just came to Shanghai not long ago, and this is the first time he has even heard of this bookstore, and he has never even seen it. Everyone will not feel interesting.Ma Bole took a look at the scene and just kept silent. Everyone was silent for a few minutes. Ma Bole wanted to calm down the air, when a watermelon seller came to the door, he called the servant to hold the watermelon, he stood at the door and greeted: "Choose the big one, choose the big one." He showed a very generous look and asked the servant to bring in four or five. After a while, watermelon peels were all over the ground. Marble said: "Throw it away, throw it away." He felt that if there is no distinction between subject and object, then this can be regarded as a good friendship.The ink cartridge cover on the desk was not closed, and someone inadvertently spit watermelon seeds in the ink cartridge. Marble said: "It doesn't matter, it doesn't matter, these fucking things really get in the way.,, He walked over and pulled all the bits and pieces of ink cartridges, rubber stamps, ink pots, etc. on the desk to one side. These things were really in the way. Not many days have passed.Ma Bole's bookstore was a little discouraged.He asked the accountant to settle the account, and he said the expenses were too great.He had the bill in his hand, he said. "Is it this amount?" He said: "Are there so many?" He picked up a pencil and sat at his desk to count the whole morning.This is the first time he has worked since he opened a bookstore. He feels very tired and his brain is not enough.I lay down on the bed and went to rest for a while before getting up again to count.No matter how the algorithm.The number is still as many as it will be counted.So he said: "This is really strange, this is really strange, but what did you spend one or two thousand dollars on? You didn't buy anything you don't need! It wasn't wasted! Where did the money go?" The bill he held in his hand was very clear, not only did he record what he bought, but also the date.Ma Bole looked at it one by one, and there was not a single amount of money that was not spent through his hands.He could recall everything, tables, chairs, wardrobes, spittoons... He even remembered how many tins of cigarettes he bought to entertain the guests, and he did not miscalculate the accounts, and there was nothing wrong with them. Ma Bole admitted that the bills were completely correct.Although he was right, he was still surprised: So much, so much! " After he fully admitted it, he still looked skeptical. On the second day, he thought of a good austerity method, rented out the downstairs house, and pasted a red paper rent sticker on the door, which read: The remaining house is for rent, with flush toilets and sanitary facilities. The rent is not expensive, only forty yuan. Because of the words "the rent is not expensive", Ma Bole almost didn't fight with the accountant, and the accountant said: "Write 'The rent is not expensive, what are you doing? If he wants to rent it, he will rent it, if he doesn't rent it, he will not rent it. Write it. The rent is not expensive, how ugly it is, and it's not good to read it when friends come, it seems that our bookstore can't afford it. It seems." Ma Bole made up his mind to write it down. After writing it, when I posted it, I almost didn't fight again.Ma Bole advocates posting it higher, and accountants advocate posting it lower, so that it is easy for people to see it. Marble said: "It's posted low, and the annoying children have been torn up, what can we do then!" After all, Ma Bole applied the glue himself, and pasted it when he went out.He stuck it on tiptoe. Because the poster was painted with too much glue, all the tenants who were hired moved in.The poster couldn't be torn off even after being torn down several times. It rained a few times before it fell off slowly. When friends came, they still opened the door of the living room downstairs and went in, shouting: "Bole, aren't you at home?" He often makes troubles for the tenant inexplicably. Ma Bole expressed his apologies, and came down from the second floor to let the guests go up: "There are too many houses to live in...they have all moved upstairs." He wanted to say that all the sales departments were moved upstairs.But he didn't have any business when he thought about it, so he didn't say it. Since then, there have been fewer friends, and even when they come, it is not very lively.Because Ma Bole didn't invite them to eat like before, but just sat with the guests for a while, sitting in vain, and everyone didn't have much fun.It seems very cold, and the conversation is relatively small, and it is more orderly. It can't be very chaotic, so it is not lively at all. On the second floor, there are three desks, plus a cabinet, two bookshelves, seven or eight chairs, and Marble's bed. It can be said that there is not much space left on the floor.It's a mess, and it doesn't have any scale at all. So Ma Bole got up casually, didn't even wear a tie, didn't wear socks, and wore slippers on his bare feet.Later, I didn't even wear a suit, and I wore pajamas all day long, and when the pajamas were to be taken off for washing, I only wore a vest and a pair of shorts.Ma Bole was almost a thin person. Others thought his legs were very long and thin, and his neck was also very long and thin.Maybe It's because they are exposed outside without clothes on. When he got up in the morning, not only did he not wash his face, he didn't even brush his teeth.Leaning on the chair for a while, leaning on the bed for a while, half asleep, half awake, not even energetic. "At that time, what can we do!" When he said that time, he was referring to something, but others didn't know much, maybe he was referring to the time when the bookstore closed. After such a period of time, he also rented out the third floor.The pavilion was also rented out. The whole bookstore is on the second floor, accounting class, general affairs class, all departments are in one house. Marble was living and eating with two or three friends.A friend is a bookstore clerk. Marble felt that this was not very elegant. "How can the manager of the bookstore live with ordinary staff!" Originally, it was fine for him to live together, just to save money.But it doesn't look good to outsiders.So he spent a few more dollars and bought a screen, which he used to separate himself from the other two. After such austerity, life is much easier. The rent for the downstairs is 40 yuan, the rent for the third floor is 20 yuan, and the rent for the two pavilions is 14 yuan in total. The whole house was rented from the big landlord for seventy-five yuan. The rent of this shop in Marble is one yuan per month.He did the math and was very happy. "Isn't this picked for nothing? Damn it, eat it!" After this contraction, he regained his spirits. Every second half of the day, he would ask his aunt to go to the street to buy small buns to eat, and he would buy dozens of them as soon as he bought them. Ma Bole's mouth was full of oil, because he ate very fast, swallowing them one by one, He said: "It's so cheap!" He barely spoke, his mouth full of buns. If things go on like this, friends won't come too often.Ma Bole has nothing to do every day, so he sleeps after eating, eats after sleeping, and lives comfortably. But the poor boy who lived on the third floor didn't know what he was doing. Overseas Chinese in Nanyang were not overseas Chinese in Nanyang, and Cantonese were not Cantonese. "Fucking Chinese!" Ma Bole cursed. accountant said: "That kid is a pauper, there is nothing in the room, what is there to do with a bare bed!" Upon hearing this, Ma Bole said: "Is it true? There is only one bed. Then he won't default on our rent next month!" On the same day, Ma Bole went upstairs to take a peek, but unexpectedly a foreign woman came into the poor boy's room.Ma Bole ran downstairs and told him that the roommate was the accountant. "That foreign girl is so beautiful." accountant said: "You old horse really adores foreigners. You can tell foreigners are beautiful at first sight." "You say who worships foreigners, which bastard worships foreigners!" Just talking about the foreign girl upstairs came down.Ma Bole opened the door to go to the washroom, and walked across from her, almost bumping into her.Ma Bole hurriedly nodded and said: "Sorry." It's not like bumping into a Chinese.When he bumped into the Chinese, he stared: "What a fucking Chinese!" But after a while, it didn't work.There are more and more people opening bookstores every day, and I heard that there are also signs on that street.What made Ma Bole most unhappy was that the house in the alley opposite him also had a bookstore sign.Isn't this just grabbing a deal? What is this for! Ma Bole said, "Let's go downstairs and take a closer look." No one went with him, but he went alone.He stood there with his neck tilted, and he knocked the sign with his hands until his eyes slammed.He came back, went upstairs, said nothing, only cursed: "The store is still closed someday, but the fucking brand is doing well." Within a few days, Marble's bookstore closed first.In total, the store has been open for three months, rent, meals, furniture... 2,000 yuan has been spent.Probably there are several hundred in Ma Bole's waist, the exact number is unknown to outsiders. His bookstore closed without publishing a single book. Marble said: "It's not good, I have to go home again... So as if fleeing from a refugee, within a few days, everything was sold out. The money from selling things was just enough for a boat ticket to go home.Marble went home again. Marble's position in the family sank even lower. He said: "What to do, just bear with it." When a local friend asked him about opening a bookstore in Shanghai, he was so sad that he didn't mention a word, only saying: "There are no good people, there are no good people." Ask him again: "What will you do after this?" He said, "God knows, maybe give me a chance to escape!" As soon as Ma Bole arrived home, his wife was very surprised.When she knew that he came back after closing the shop, she didn't say anything.She didn't argue with him, and didn't ask any questions, as if she didn't see him.Her face was as flat as if it had been ironed, and she didn't say a word to him all day long.She avoided him with squinting eyes, and sometimes raised and lowered her eyes to him, as if standing before her was a stranger.When the old lady came to call after dinner, the wife picked up the little girl Jage and left without saying "It's time to eat" or "Let's eat." Only Jacques clapped his hands on Da Da's shoulders, calling him Papa.Seeing this scene, Ma Bole immediately burst into tears. He thinks it's better to be a child, because the child doesn't know that his father failed and came back. He sat at the table to eat, and no one at the table spoke to him.It seems that he can't get along with what other people say. My mother said: "The yellow croakers are here. They are cheap these days. You have time to buy more and marinate them." Both the eldest and the second young mistress agreed to buy it. For the past few days, my father has not said a word, but the silver chopsticks buzzed against the edge of the bowl.Father finished eating a bowl of rice, and mother-in-law was going to take the bowl to put the rice in. The master shook his head, put down the bowl, stood up and left. The big black cat jumped off the window sill and squatted on the soft chair that his father had left, purring.The cat is black and fat.Marble looks at it, it looks at Marble. Ma Bole had no choice but to eat a bowl of rice without being full or hungry, and then left the dining room. Later, my father stopped eating at the same table with Ma Bole, and my father ate in the living room by himself.After eating, the sound of gargling was very loud, and Ma Bole felt very threatened. The mother was left in the cold because of the father's unhappiness.The old lady stood by and dared not make a sound. When Jager asked for egg soup, Ma Bole took a spoonful of it and poured it into Jager's rice bowl. Just as the child was about to eat, his mother snatched the rice bowl away and scolded the child: "I have a bad stomach for the past two days, I have a gluttonous mouth, and I still have to eat soup and rice." Jacob began to cry.Marble said: "What are you afraid of? What are you afraid of if you drink some soup?" The wife picked up the child and left without even paying attention to him. The whole family treats Ma Paile, just like the Bible says to treat the devil, Even little Jage wouldn't let her father come to her.Ma Bole took a look at a little bear that Jager was playing with, and the child snatched it right away, pouted and said: "Give it to me, it's mine." When the apple was on the market, Marble bought it for Jager, and the kid was about to reach for it, but his mother gave her a sideways look, so she said, "I don't want... Mom said Mom bought it for me." Marble felt that the whole family had changed. Ma Bole made the final decision, moved from his wife's room to his own study, and moved it cleanly, leaving nothing behind, even the suitcase, clothes, shoes and socks.His chemical soap box, which had accompanied him to Shanghai twice, was also moved there.It seems that he and his wife separated. The wife didn't make a sound, didn't look at him, she didn't use her voice or eyes to show that she wanted to keep him, but she didn't object to him at all, as if to say, he can do whatever he wants, and it has nothing to do with her . When Ma Bole went to get his soap box for the last time, he deliberately showed a bad attitude. He looked very domineering and kicked the door open. The eyes look sideways, the soap box is on the mirror stand, he pretends not to see it, he pretends to look around, walks around the room, opens all the drawers, while he is opening, he peeps with the end of his eyes With Mrs.The wife is lying on the bed and playing with the child.Marble thought: "Why don't you say a word to me? Are you so cruel?" By the end he was just messing around.When he got angry, his strength was great, and the things he made made a lot of noise, but the wife didn't react at all, and she almost didn't see him.So he lifted the soap box and threw it on the ground. "What a fucking Chinese..." He waited for a while, he thought his wife might not be able to bear it this time! But the wife didn't say a word, she was still lying on the bed and playing with the child. Ma Bole saw that there was nothing he could do, so he picked up the soap box and ran to the room he had arranged.From then on he existed alone. Ma Paile lived his life sadly.At night, he opened the window and saw that the moon had come out. He said, "When the moon comes out, the sun cannot be seen." It was raining outside, and as soon as he stepped out of the gate he said: "When it rains, the road is wet." The leaves of the autumn trees floated all over the yard and the verandah.When the wind came at night, it would blow on the glass windows. At this time, Ma Bole turned left and right on the bed, thinking about it.The ancients said it well, life is more bitter than happy, with money, wife, son, father, brother; They are all lies. Ma Bole thought about things, and his head ached.He got up and drank a cup of tea to feel better.He looked out the window, it was dark outside, and he said: "Without the moon, the night is dark." He heard the fallen leaves hitting the window, and he said again: "It's autumn, and the leaves are about to fall." He followed this principle, and he went on to think a lot. "The rich look down on the poor." "An official must look down on the common people." "My wife is going to look down on me." "When the wind stops, the leaves will not fall." "When I have money, my wife thinks highly of me." "I am rich, the father is also a father, and the child is also a child." "That's how people live.  … "To live is to live." "If you die, you can't live." "To commit suicide is to die." "If you want to escape, you must escape." As soon as Ma Bole thought of the word "escape", he thought not to escape this time. So Ma Bole lived at home for a long time, within seven or eight months.He did not escape. As soon as the Marco Polo Bridge incident happened, Ma Bole fled from his home in Qingdao to Shanghai on a large oceangoing boat. There was no escape on the whole ship, and there was no escape in Shanghai when they arrived in Shanghai. No one escaped to Shanghai from other places, and no one escaped from Shanghai to other places.Everything is peaceful and peaceful. The French Concession, the British Concession, and the Bund pier are all the same as usual, and there is no chaos at all. The tall and strong buildings on the Bund are still standing there for a long time, trams and high-rise buildings Cars crisscrossed and still came and went peacefully.The tram bells were still jingling.On the sidewalk, some women are holding umbrellas, some are holding shiny leather wallets, walking leisurely, and they are all wearing exquisite clothes and beautiful shoes. Most of the shoes have holes in them, and the women I don't like wearing socks, so they all look cool one by one.Especially on the high-rise cars, the ladies sitting there are all wearing sheer clothes, water yellow, light blue, beige, all dressed so thin, and they are all light and airy. It looks very cool. In July, I'm afraid they will also look cold.The window decorations of the shops facing the street are extremely prosperous.In a small shop, chatterboxes are still sung in front of the door.There are also small shops selling airline tickets, full of people standing in front of the shops, and they are also singing chatterboxes, which are irritating and yelling tunes, like crying but not crying, laughing without laughing.Those people wandered in front of the shop wanting to buy one, but they were afraid that they would not get the lottery, so they threw a dollar in vain.If you don’t want to buy it, you also feel that you might get the jackpot, the second lottery, the third lottery, ... not only these, but also many side lottery, or if the two numbers at the end match, you can also get thirty-fifty, three Yuan Binary.There is also a one-dollar limit.One yuan has the most opportunities, so you should buy it if you buy it. When it comes to the jackpot, getting a one yuan is still enough.If it is a two-color or three-color prize, then it’s still worth it. The rich man will make it immediately, buy a car, use seven or eight servants, a phonograph, and a radio at home... Although the first prize is not easy to win, but in retrospect, it is a big prize. It must come out, who will win the lottery, and who decided it?No one decides. Whoever buys a lottery ticket has a chance. If you want to buy a lottery ticket, just think it is lost. If you want to buy it, make up your mind to buy it.So ladies, cart pullers, small businessmen, white-faced people, wandering people... all stood in front of the lottery shop regardless of rank, counting in their hearts, and went to the pink row Look up and down the row of lottery tickets to see which one will win the jackpot.As if they could tell which one was going to win the jackpot.After spotting them, they opened their mouths and said, "I want this one." Pointing to the row of lottery tickets hanging in a row, they stretched out their hands, and the lottery ticket seller brought a couplet, which was ten twenty tickets. Sheets, or three sheets of two linked together, like the stamps in the post office, are arranged in rows, one big and one big.But no one has ever seen a person who went to the post office to buy stamps. He specified this one or that one. After paying five cents, the post office would give a five-cent note, and one cent would be given to him. If someone wants to pick a penny note, the post office will give him a big scolding.But buying airline tickets is different. You can pick and choose as you like, and the ticket sellers will not bother you.Those who bought the tickets looked at the big sheet for a long time, but they didn't like it.So he said: "If you don't want this row, you want that row, the ticket seller went to change to a big row, and this big row is similar to that big row, and they are exactly the same, so the person who bought it was dazzled. Look at this, look at that, I ran out of ideas, and when I was in the nick of time, I had to make a final decision. So I made the final decision, and randomly designated a piece of paper on the long row that was too eye-catching for others to see. He chose this one because he thought he really saw some truth. In fact, he didn’t know whether it was good or bad, whether it would be sad or happy in the future. But his eyes were blurred and his mind was confused. There was no way. I just tore off this one casually. Also, he didn’t want to tear it off. He looked at it and it seemed that the other one was better than this one. The other one would probably win the jackpot, and he didn’t like this one. It looked like a tricolor. He thought so, so he quickly changed another one. The ticket seller didn't bother, so he changed another one for him. They also did as they wished. Some huddled there and studied for a while, and touched it with their hands for a long time. After touching it, he didn't buy it after reading it. He stepped back and watched others buy it. Sometimes it is very strange, one person came up and bought one bravely, and the other people also came up and bought one each, and the person who stood by and watched others buy one also came up and bought one Go. It seems that people who buy lottery tickets are taking advantage of the trend. Probably because they see that the first person who buys this lottery ticket very readily is a person who will make a fortune. You will also get rich, but these people who buy it and go there are not very common. Most of them need to study, and some do not buy it after the research, and they do not stand aside and watch others buy it, but return to it. Go home, go home and think about it and come back tomorrow. They buy an airline ticket, like paying for a donkey or a pony, and they want to study whether the donkey is thin or fat, and how big the mouth is It should be calculated. After a few years, it should give birth to a few donkeys. It’s like a man chooses a fiancée there, and a woman chooses a husband there. Choosing a husband is not so difficult. Look left and right, look in every way, But I can't see the good or the bad. Which one of these piles of aviation lottery tickets is the jackpot. The more I look at it, the more I can't understand it, there is no phenomenon at all, everything is the same, one big sheet and one row are all the same, they are all light red, and the exact same words are printed on them.One thousand, ten thousand, even one hundred thousand, it's all the same.Regardless of whether you find a few or are a little darker or lighter than the rest, there is a goal for people to choose. Regardless of the unlucky ones in the future, it will save some effort in choosing.However, the printing office of Air India lottery tickets may not have thought that they chose the difficult layer, but the colors are adjusted exactly the same. It seems that they are not man-made, but are born so exactly the same.This is how ordinary people, or poor people buy airline tickets.Rich people also buy them, but most of them don't choose them very much, and they don't seem to value them very much.一买就是十块钱二十块钱，或是百八十块钱地买，好像买香烟或别的日常用品一样，不管回到家对这彩票仍旧是不加重视的扔在一边，或是把号码记在日记册上，或是更记在什么秘密的地方，日夜地等着开彩都不管，就只说买的时候到底是直爽的。街上不但卖航空奖券的铺子是热闹的，就是一切店铺也都很热闹。虽然热闹但是并不混乱，并不慌忙，而是安安详详的，平平稳稳的，绝对没有逃难的形色。 坐着马伯乐的大船，进了口了，靠了岸了。马伯乐是高高地站在桅杆的下边。岸上挤满了接船的人。他明明知道没人来接他，因为他上船的时候并没打电报给上海的朋友。但是他想： “万一要有呢？” 所以他往岸上不住地寻视，直等到下船的人都下完了，接船的人也都走了，他才回到三等舱里，拿起他那张唯一带来的毯子，下船来了。 走在街上，他觉得有点不对，一切都是平常的态度，对于他，这从青岛逃来的人，似乎没有人知晓。他走过了外滩，走过了南京路，他穿的是很厚的衣裳，衬衫也黑了，皮鞋也没有上油，脸上的胡子也几天没有一刮了，所以脸色是黑黝黝的。 高楼汽车经过他旁边的时候，他往上看了一眼，看到那些太太小姐们，穿得都那么凉爽。 “怎么，她们还不知道吗？芦沟桥都打起来啦！” 他想，这样的民族怎么可以！他们都不知道青岛也快危险了。 他坐了电车经过先施公司、冠生园、大新公司的前边，那里边外边都是热热闹闹的，一点也没有逃难的样子，一点也没有惊慌的样子，太太平平的，人们是稳稳当当的。 当马伯乐看到了卖航空奖券的铺子，里边是红纸装饰得红堂堂的，里边外边都挂了红招牌，上边写着上次开奖，头奖就是他这个店铺卖出去的，请要发财的人快来买吧。马伯乐一看，他就说： "What a fucking Chinese!" “人都快打上来了，你们还不去做个准备。还在这里一心想要发财。” “到那时候，可怎么办呢？” 他之所谓到那时候，大概是到了很悲观的时候，于是很悲悯地想着： “你们这些人，你们不是没有聪明，你们不是不想要过好的生活，过安定的生活，看你们都聚在一起，很忠实地买航空奖券的样子，可见你们对于发财的心是多么切。可是小日本就快上来了，小日本上来的时候，你们将要不知不觉的，破马张飞地乱逃，到那时候，你们将要哭叫连天，将要失妻散子。到那时候，天昏地暗了，手忙脚乱了，你们还不快快去做一个准备，到那时候可怎么办呢！” 马伯乐带着这种心情到了上海。不久就在上海租房子住下了。 这回他租的房子，可与开书店那次所租的房子相差太远了。不能比了。一开门进去，满屋子都是大蒜的气味。Marble said: “这是逃难呀，这不是过日子，也不是做生意。” 所以满屋子摆着油罐、盐罐、酱油瓶子、醋瓶子，他一点也不觉得讨厌，而觉得是应该的，应该如此的。 他的屋子是暗无天日的，是在楼下梯口的一旁。这座房子组织得很奇怪。不但是马伯乐的房子没有窗子，所有楼下的房子也都没有窗子。 马伯乐租房子的时候，第一眼就看到了这个缺点，正因这有这个缺点，他才租了它。他懂得没光线眼睛是要坏的，关起门来没有空气，人可怎么能够受得了，但是正因为有了这个大缺点，房租才会便宜的。 “这是什么时候？这是逃难的时候。” 马伯乐想，逃难的时候，就得做逃难的打算，省钱第一，别的谈不到。 所以对这黑洞洞的房子，他一点也不觉讨厌，而觉得是应该的，应该如此。 一天到晚是非开电灯不可的，那屋子可说是暗无天日的了，一天到晚，天暗地黑，刮风下雨也都不能够晓得，哪怕外边打了雷，坐在屋子里的马伯乐也受不到轰震。街上的汽车和一切杂音，坐在这屋子里什么也听不见，好像世界是不会发声音的了，世界是个哑巴了。有时候，弄堂里淘气的孩子，拿了皮球向着墙上丢打着。这时候马伯乐在屋里听到墙壁啪啪地响，那好向从几百里之外传来的，好像儿童时代丢了一块石子到井里去，而后把耳朵贴在井口上所听到的那样，实在是深远得不得了。有时弄堂里的孩子们拿了一根棍子从马伯乐的墙边划过去，那时他听到的不是啪啪的而是刷刷的，咯拉咯拉的……这是从哪来的声音？What is this sound?马伯乐用力辨别不出来，只感到这声音是发在无限之远。总之马伯乐这屋子静得似乎全世界都哑了，又好像住在深渊里边一样，又黑又静，一天到晚都开着电灯。就是夜里睡觉，马伯乐也把灯开着，一则开灯是不花钱的，他想开着也就算了；二则关起灯来，也不大好，黑得有点怕人。 有一天夜里，是马伯乐失眠之夜，他看着墙上有一点小东西发亮，不但发亮而且还会浮浮游游的动，好像有风吹着似的，他忙去开灯看看，一开灯什么也没有。他又关了灯再睡，那小亮东西，又看见了。和先前一样，是浮浮游游地。他开了灯，到墙上去找了半天，没能找到什么，过后一想他知道那是萤火虫了，是没有什么关系的。但从那时起就永远开着灯睡觉。若关了灯，也不是不能睡，不过，觉得有点空洞，有点深远，而且夜里开灯房东又不加钱的，所以就开着睡。 所以马伯乐过的生活，一天二十四小时都是黑夜，但他自己不那么以为着，他以为一天二十四小时都是白昼，亮通通的，电灯好像小太阳似的照着他。 他以为这是应该的，应该如此的。 “逃难的时候，你若不俭省还行吗？”他没有一天忘记了这个念头。 他为了俭省，他不到外边去吃，饭馆的饭无论怎样便宜，也没有自己动手在家里做更便宜。 他买了炭炉、小铁锅、锅铲之类，就开了伙了，开初是在厨房里做，过几天，他发现油也有人偷着用；酱油摆在那里，头一天还是半瓶，第二于就剩小半瓶了；炭也似乎有人拿着用，不然用不了这么快。因为上海的厨房是公用的，公用的厨房人家多，自然靠不住。恰巧有一回他真正看见了，房东的娘姨倒了他的油，炒鸡蛋。 于是他就把炉子搬到自己屋里来了，就在床头上开了伙，油、盐、醋、酱油……桌子底下、床底下，都摆满了瓶子、瓶子，罐子、罐子。四五天之前炒的辣椒酱放茶杯中忘记了，马伯乐拿在手里一看，都生了绿茸茸的毛。拿到鼻子上一嗅，发着一种怪味。他想这实在可惜的，可吃又吃不得，他看了半天很可惜的，用筷子把它挖出来，挖出来，挖在一张破报纸上丢掉了。那个被挖出辣椒酱来的杯子，没有去洗，就装上辣椒油了。在灯光之下，也看不见这杯子是不大干静的的，因为是用揩布过了的。揩过了的，也就算了，将来逃起来，还不如现在呢！ 所以马伯乐烧饭的小白锅，永久不用洗，午饭吃完了，把锅盖一盖，到晚上做饭的时候，把锅子拿过来，用锅铲嘁喳咔喳地刮了一阵，刮完了就倒上新米，又做饭去了。第二天晌午做饭时也是照样地刮。锅子外边，就省事了，他连刮也不刮，一任其自然。所以每次烧饭的白沫，越积越厚，致使锅子慢慢地大起来了。 马伯乐的筷子越用越细，他切菜的那块板越用越簿，因为他都不去洗，而一律刮之的缘故。小铁锅也是越刮越簿，不过里边簿，外边厚，看不出来就是了。而真正无增无减的要算吃饭的饭碗。虽然也每天同样地刮，可到底没能看出什么或大或小的现象来，仍和买来的时候没有什么差别，还在保持原状。 其余的，不但吃饭的用具，就连枕头、被子、鞋袜，也都变了样。因为不管什么他都不用水洗，一律用刮的办法。久了，不管什么东西都要脏的，脏了他就拿过来刮，锅、碗、筷子是用刀刮，衣裳、帽子是用指甲刮，袜子也是用指甲刮。鞋是用木片刮。天下了雨，进屋时他就拿小木片刮，就把鞋边上的泥刮干净了。天一晴，看着鞋子又不十分干净，于是用木片再刮一回。自然久不刷油，只是刮，黑皮鞋就有点像挂着白霜似的，一块块地在鞋上起了云彩。这个马伯乐并不以为然，没放在心上。他走在街上仍是堂堂正正的，大大方方的，并没有因此而生起一些些羞怯的感觉。却往往看了那些皮鞋湛亮的，头发闪着油光的而油然地生出一种蔑视之心。往往心里向他们说： “都算些个干什么的呢？中国人若都像你们这样，国家没有好……中国非……非他妈的……” 马伯乐心里恨极了，他恨自己不是当前的官员，若是的话，他立刻下令是凡穿亮皮鞋的，都得抓到巡捕房。这是什么时候，小日本就要上来了，你们还他妈的，还一点也不觉得。 “我看你们麻木不仁了。” 马伯乐不大愿意上街，一上街看了他就生气。 有一天，他在街上走着走着，他的帽子忽然被人抓着跑了。他回头一看，不是别人，是开书店时的那个会计，也就是他在上海××大学旁听时的同学。 这个人，一个眼睛大，一个眼睛小，满脸青灰，好像一个吸鸦片的人。其实是由于胃病所致，那人是又瘦又干。 马伯乐既然看出来的是他，就想说： “你拿去我的帽子干什么呢！” 他的脸都气红了，在大街上开玩笑也不好这样开的，让人看了什么样子。 等他和那人握了手之后。话就没有如此说而是： “现在你住在哪里？我还没有去看你。你这一年干什么？胃病还没有好哇！” 那人也就和他说了一大套，临走才把帽子交给了马伯乐。 马伯乐一细看： “晤！” 帽子上有一个洞洞。 “这是谁干的事？这是怎么来的！” 马伯乐正在研究着，他的朋友说一声： “老马，你的帽子可以换一个了。你是不戴帽子的，一年不见，却戴起帽子来了。我看走路的样子是你，我就给你摘下帽子来瞧瞧。” 说完了，他就走。 马伯乐想，这小子，这不是和我开玩笑吗？damn it!一路上他研究着帽子到底是怎么出的洞，没有研究出来，等到家里，才明白了。他生起火炉烧饭时，用扇子煽着火，火花往四边飞，飞到他自己的手上，把手给烧了一个小黑点。因为手是活的，烧得热辣辣地痛，他把手上的火星立刻打掉了，所以，没有烧了多大一片，而只是米粒那么大一点。马伯乐立刻明白了，帽子的洞是火烧的。他赶快去看看，枕头和被子烧着没有，因为在电灯底下，虽然说是很亮了，但到底看得不怎样清楚。似乎是并没有烧着，但是他很疑心，他想想那说不定。所以他把炉口转了一个方向，仍是用扇子煽着，使那火花撞到墙上去，再从墙上折回来落到别处去。这个马伯乐就看不见了，他很放心地用力煽着火。火星从墙上折回来，竟或落在他的头发上，落在他的脸上，但这个不要紧，这是从墙上折回来的了，不是直接的了。 马伯乐一天到晚都是很闲，惟有吃饭的时候最忙，他几乎脱了全身的衣裳，他非常卖力气，满身流着汗，从脚到头，从头到脚。他只穿着小短裤和背心，脚下拖着木头板鞋。 但他一天只忙这么两阵，其余的时间都是闲的。 闲下来他就修理着自己的袜子、鞋或是西服。袜底穿硬了，他就用指甲刮着，用手揉着，一直揉到发软的程度为止。西服裤子沾上了饭粒时，他也是用指甲去刮。只有鞋子不有指甲，而是用木片刮，其余多半都是用指甲的。吃饭的时候，牙缝里边塞了点什么，他也非用指甲刮出来不可。眼睛迷了眼毛进去，他也非用指甲刮出来不可，鼻子不通气，伸指甲去刮了一阵就通气了。头皮发痒时，马伯乐就用十个指甲，伸到发根里抱着乱搔刮一阵。若是耳朵发痒了，大概可没办法了，指甲伸又伸不进去，在外边刮又没有用处，他一着急，也到底在耳朵外边刮了一阵。 马伯乐很久没有洗澡了，到洗澡堂子去洗澡不十分卫生。在家里洗，这房子又没有这设备。反正省钱第一，用毛巾擦一擦也就算了。何况马伯乐又最容易出汗，一天烧饭两次，出大汗两次。汗不就是水吗？用毛巾把汗一擦不就等于洗了澡吗？ “洗澡不也是用水吗？汗不就是水变的吗？” 马伯乐擦完了觉得很凉爽，很舒适，无异于每天洗两次澡的人。 他就是闲着在床上躺着，他也不收拾屋子，满地蒜皮，一开门，大蒜的气味扑面而来。他很喜欢吃葱或是蒜，而且是生吃，吃完了也不放放空气。关起门来就上街了。那锁在屋子里的混饨饨的气味，是昼夜地伴着他的。 他多半是闻不到的，就是闻到了，也不足为奇，省钱第一，其余的都次之。他对他的环境都十分满意，就是偶尔不满意一点，一想也就满意了。 “这是逃难呀，这不是……” 他每次从街上回来，第一脚踏进屋去，必须踢倒了油瓶子或是盐罐子，因为他的瓶子、罐子、盆碗是满地扔着，又加上从外回来立刻进了这混饨饨的屋子，眼睛是什么也看不清楚的。但是马伯乐对于他自己踢倒了瓶子这件事，他并不烦躁。虽然不止一次，差不多常常踢倒的。踢倒了他就弯下腰去把它扶起来。扶起来他也不把它规整一下，仍是满地扔着。第二天，他又照样地踢倒，照样地扶。 一切他都说： “逃难了，逃难了。” 他每天早晨提着筐子，像女人似的到小菜场去买菜，在那里讲价还价。买完了三个铜板的黄豆芽，他又向那卖黄豆芽的筐子里抓上了一把。这一抓没有抓得很多的，只抓上十几棵。他想多一棵就比少一棵强。 “这是什么时候了？这是逃难呀！” 买鱼的时候，过完了秤，讲好了价，他又非要换一条大的不可。其实大不了好多，他为着这条差不多大的鱼，打了一通官话，争讲了好半天，买菠菜，买葱子也要自己伸出手多抢几棵。只有买豆腐，是又不能抢，又不能说再换一块大的。因为豆腐是一律一般大，差不多和邮票一样，一排一排的都是一般大。马伯乐安然地等在那里，凭着卖豆腐的给哪一块就是哪一块。 他到油盐店去买油，他记得住上一次半斤油是装到瓶子的哪一段。因为那汽水瓶子上贴着一块商标，半斤油恰恰是齐到商标那里，若是多了，那就是白捡了，若是少了，那就证明不够分量。 “不够分量就应该去跟他争呀。” 本来马伯乐提着油瓶子回来了，他一边走着一边想着，越想越不对。 “真他妈的中国人，少了分量为什么不去找他？这是什么时候呵！这是逃难的时候。” 回到那店铺，吵嚷了半天没有什么结果。 马伯乐的眼睛是很聪明的，他一看若想加油那是办不到的，于是也就提着瓶子回来了。气得他两眼发青，两肩向前扣着，背驼着。开了锁，一进门就撞倒了几个瓶子。 他生起气来，脾气也是很大的，在某种场合让他牺牲了性命也是可以的。小的时候他和人家打架，因为他的左手上戴着一块手表，怕把手表打碎了，就单用右手打，而把左手高高地举起。结果鼻子被人家打流了血，哪怕是再比这更打到致命的地方，他都不在乎。 “流点血，不要紧。手表打碎了，父亲能再给买了吗？” 从小他就养成了这种习惯，他知道钱是中用的，从父亲那里拿到钱是多么困难，他是永久也不会忘记的。 马伯乐虽然在气头上，一看瓶子、罐子倒了，他过去心平气和地把它们扶起来。并且看看酱油或醋之类洒了没有。这是钱买来的呀！这不是闹笑话。看看没有洒，他放了心，又接着生他的气。 “这是什么时候，这是逃难呵！逃难不节省行吗？不节省，到那时候可怎么办！” 气了半天不对了，他哈哈大笑起来，他想起买的就不是半斤油，买的是五分钱的油。他骂一声： "What a fucking Chinese!" 马伯乐随时准备着再逃，处处准备着再逃，一事一物，他没有不为着“逃”而打算的，省钱第一，快逃第二。他的脑子里天天戒备着，好像消防队里边的人，夜里穿着衣裳睡觉，警笛一发，跳上了水车就跑。马伯乐虽然不能做到如此，但若一旦事变，大概总可逃在万人之先。也或者事未变，而他就先逃了也说不定。他从青岛来到上海，就是事未变而他先逃的。 马伯乐感到曲高和寡，他这个日本人必要打来的学说，没有人相信。他从家出来时要求他太太一同出来，太太没有同意，而且说他： "joke." 近年来马伯乐更感到孤单了，简直没有和他同调的。 “日本人还会打到上海的吗？真是笑话。” 马伯乐到处听到这样的反应。他不提到逃难便罢，一提到，必要遭到反感，竟或人家不反感他，也就冷落着他。对于马伯乐所说的“就要逃难了”这句话，是毫不足奇的，好像并非听见；就是听见了，也像听一句普通的话那样，像过耳风那样，随便应付了几句，也就算了。绝对没有人打听，逃到哪里去，小日本什么时候打来。竟也没有一个人，真正地问马伯乐一次，问他是怎么晓得的日本人必打到上海？ 马伯乐虽然天天说逃，但他也不知道将来要逃到什么地方去。小日本从什么地方打来，什么时候打来，他也不十分知道。不过他感觉着是快的。 他的家是在青岛。有一年夏天，青岛的海上来了八十多只日本军舰。马伯乐看了，那时候就害怕极了。在前海沿一直排列过来，八十多只军舰，有好几路的样子。全青岛的人没有不哄着这件事的。人们都知道，那次军舰来而不是来打中国，是日本的军舰出来玩的，或是出来演习的。可是把中国人都吓了一跳，尤其是对于那些没有知识的人，不认识字，不会看报，他们听着传说，把“演习”两个字读成“练习”。 所以传说着，日本海军不得了，到中国地方来练习来了。所以街街巷巷，这几天都谈论着青岛海上的八十多只军舰。 拉洋车的，卖豆腐的，开茶馆的……都指指画画地指着海上那大鲸鱼似的东西，他们说，日本人练习，为什么不在日本练习，为什么到中国地方来练习？ “这不是对着我们中国人，是对着谁？” “看那大炮口，那不都笔直地对着我们的中山路吗？” 而且全青岛因为上来了很多海军而变了样。妓女们欢欢乐乐地看见那长得很小的海军，就加以招呼。安南妓女，法国妓女，高丽……说着各种语言的都有，而且她们穿了不同国度的衣裳，徘徊在海边上，欢笑的声音，使海水都翻了花了，海涨潮时，那探进海去的两里路长的栈桥，被浪水刮刮地冲洗上来了，妓女们高声地大笑着。她们说着各种言语，觉得十分好玩。那些长得很小的水兵，若是看一看她们，或是撞一撞她们，她们就更笑起来，笑得有点奇怪，好像谁的声音最大，谁就是最幸福的人似的。一直到她们之中有的被水兵带走了，她们才停下来。可是那被水兵带上了岸的，仍旧是要欢笑下去，将要使满街都充满了她们的笑声。 同时有些住宅的墙上，挂出牌子或是贴出了纸贴，上边写着欢迎他们的皇军到他家里去做客。是凡住在青岛的日本人家都贴的招贴，像是他家里有什么东西要拍卖的那样，这真是世界上顶伟大，顶特殊，顶新鲜的事情。 大概有许多人没有见过这样的事，马伯乐是见过了的，而且是亲眼所见。 数日之内，是凡日本人家里，都有帽子后边飘着两个黑带的水上英雄到他们家去做客。三个一串，两人一伙，也有四五个水兵一齐到一个家庭里去的。说也奇怪，本来客人与主人，在这之前是一次也未见过，可是他们相见之下却很融洽，和老友又重新会到了似的。主妇陪着吃酒。不管怎样年轻的主妇也要坐在一起陪着吃酒。其实是越年轻越好，困为水兵就是喜欢年轻的妇人的，像对于海边上那些说着各种言语的女子一样喜欢。越是年轻就越打闹的热闹。水兵盘着腿坐在日