Chapter 5 third quarter

Zhang Xian still said calmly: "Mr. Chen praised me, I just like it, and I am self-taught." Chen Guo was really puzzled. Zhang Xian had never seen him before. Although he looked dusty and ragged, he spoke and behaved decently. Is there some ulterior secret, afraid that people will know his identity? After all, Chen Guo was an old man, very naughty, he laughed and said, "Mr. Zhang, are you coming to Beiping to seek relatives or to do business?" Zhang Xian said: "To make a living, I want to make a living in Tianqiao." A clerk knocked on the door and came in, offering tea and cakes, Chen Guo gestured, the clerk understood, stepped back quickly, and closed the door.

Chen Guo was polite and invited Zhang Xian to drink tea. Zhang Xian nodded his thanks, but did not move. Chen Guo asked: "Mr. Zhang, how long have you been here? Have you found a way to make a living?" Zhang Xian said: "I just came to your place today, I just want to have an open space on the street corner, let me do a few tricks and ask for some rewards." Chen Guo said: "That's it! Hehe, Mr. Zhang, although I haven't seen it with my own eyes, but from the description of the buddy, you should have cracked the Eight Immortals' fruit-picking trick, and also introduced a new change, a reward of fifty yuan , I’ll give it to you right away, but I don’t know if it’s convenient for Mr. Zhang to talk about it.”

Zhang Xian said: "Mr. Chen, I don't want your reward. I just showed off for a while, and I am looking for fun for everyone, not for rewards. I will sit here for a while and get to know Mr. Chen. Let's go now." Chen Guo knew that Zhang Xian would definitely not want to speak out, and he didn't want to get entangled in this issue, so he quickly pretended to be surprised, and said in surprise: "How can this be done! I, Chen Guo, have always kept my promises. If you don't want the money, just Look down on me!" Chen Guo stood up and walked to the study on the side.

Chen Guo looks generous, but he is actually very stingy, and he thinks highly of his tricks.He knows very well how capable the jugglers in Beijing and Tianjin are. He even greeted those who have some tricks in the Tianqiao area, and let them watch the fun. It could have ended smoothly, but he never expected it to happen suddenly. A stranger named Zhang Xian appeared to make himself unable to step down.If Fifty Oceans really wants Chen Guo to take it out, it will be more painful than cutting flesh. If Zhang Xian dares to accept it, he is afraid that he will not get it well. Zhang Xian said: "Mr. Chen, please stop!"

Chen Guo stopped immediately, turned around and asked, "What's the matter, Mr. Zhang?" Zhang Xian said, "Mr. Chen has a dime?" Chen Guo was taken aback for a moment, and said, "There are." He took out a ten-cent copper coin from his pocket and handed it over. Zhang Xian took it and said, "Mr. Chen, I only need a dime! Thank you! As for other people asking, please keep it secret, Mr. Chen, please bear with me!" Zhang Xian was a step down for Chen Guo, Chen Guo was secretly happy, thinking that this Zhang Xian was a bit discerning, but he still tried to save face and said, "How good this is!"

Zhang Xian said: "That's it! I'll take the dime." Zhang Xian shook his hand and opened it again, but the copper coin was gone. Chen Guo is a master of juggling. Looking at Zhang Xian's skills and posture, he can be said to be an expert in the way. He can tell at a glance that Zhang Xian's tricks are definitely not simple. any flaws. Chen Guo's eyes lit up, his smile became stronger, he came over and sat next to Zhang Xian, and said, "Mr. Zhang, you just came here. I may not have heard of this Wangfenglou. It can be regarded as one of the best juggling gardens in the Tianqiao area." , Many famous actors from Beijing and Tianjin have come to the small shop to perform. If Mr. Zhang doesn’t mind, can you give me a trial performance or two? The cost depends on Mr. Zhang’s intentions. This is much better than Liandi!”

Zhang Xian smiled softly and said: "Mr. Chen is still being polite. I am a juggler, and I really can't compare with storytellers, flute singers, and jugglers. Although Chinese juggles are extensive and profound, they are gradually declining, far from those in the Tang and Song Dynasties. In its heyday, everyone is tired of watching the old three. Many people can tell the reason for the change, and it is no longer fun. Mr. Chen's Eight Immortals fetching fruit tricks are very fresh. If there are a few more like Mr. Chen In this way, the magicians who have the courage to innovate, the revival of ancient Chinese tricks is expected!"

When Chen Guo heard this, he gave a "hmm" and said, "Magician? This is what foreigners call juggling. I have only heard this word in recent years." Zhang Xian nodded and said, "Yes." Zhang Xian stood up, "Mr. Chen, I'm sorry to bother you, I'm leaving!" Chen Guo hurriedly stood up, trying to stop Zhang Xian from leaving, but he looked at Zhang Xian, and Zhang Xian's eyes showed a momentum of refusal, and he couldn't say anything at once, so he could only say: "Mr. Zhang, I'll see you off, please." Chen Guo sent Zhang Xian out of Wangfeng Building, Zhang Xian asked Chen Guo to stay and left alone with a big suitcase.

Chen Guo looked at Zhang Xian's back, took a deep breath, a trace of displeasure appeared on his face, shook his head, and was about to go back. A guy rushed over in a hurry and almost bumped into Chen Guo. Chen Guo scolded: "Er Maozi! Why are you running in such a hurry! Hurry to die!" The guy named Er Maozi hurriedly said: "Shopkeeper Chen, butler Liu from Master Duan's house told you to come over, he, he doesn't look very well." Chen Guo was taken aback for a moment, and immediately became nervous, and hurriedly asked, "What's going on?" Er Maozi was about to reply when Chen Guo scolded, "Talk while walking! Lead the way ahead! Hurry up!"

Chen Guo and Er Maozi rushed to the largest and most luxurious private room Meijing Garden on the second floor of Wangfeng Building. There were two burly men standing outside. Seeing that it was Chen Guo who had come, they didn't show any good face and cursed: "Go in!" Chen Guo repeatedly agreed, bowed his waist, and cautiously opened the curtain to enter. This private room is built in the middle of the second floor of Wangfeng Building, where you can see the stage directly from a height, and it is a good place. In the private room, there was a mahogany round table, which was filled with exquisite snacks of melon and fruit tea. One man and two women were not sitting at the table, but were sitting on three high-backed soft chairs, with their backs facing Chen Guo. , facing the stage.

A man sitting on the farthest side was wearing a silk robe, his hair was combed neatly, his legs were crossed, and a shiny leather shoe was shaking up and down.Next to this man was a woman in a gorgeous cheongsam, she looked less than thirty years old, she was beautifully dressed, but she looked very vulgar, she was holding a grape and was about to give it to her mouth. When the woman saw Chen Guo coming, she gave Chen Guo a cold look. It was obvious that she didn't take Chen Guo seriously. The woman snorted, "Boss Chen, what are you up to? Why did you come here?" Chen Guo hurriedly took a step forward, he was very familiar with this man and two women, and shouted respectfully: "Second Wife, Third Wife, Guanye Liu, I'm late, I'm late, forgive me! Forgive me!" The man sitting next to him is the housekeeper Liu of Duan Shizhang's residence.Speaking of Duan Shizhang, he is a man who can understand the world and the ground in Beiping. Duan Shizhang coughed, not only in Beiping, but also in Beijing, Tianjin, and Hebei.The two women sitting in this room are his second room and third room. The young woman eating grapes is the third wife, named Chen Ziyan. Climb to the high branch of Duan Shizhang.The second wife is a beautiful lady, and the Manchu family is in the Yellow Banner. After the fall of the Qing Dynasty, the family was ruined, and the name was changed to Wang Yiting. Duan Shizhang thought that she was dignified and beautiful, of noble blood, and could be prosperous, so he married her as the second wife. . Butler Liu didn't get up, but turned his head and said with a half-smile, "Boss Chen, sit down." Chen Guo hurriedly said: "Don't dare, dare not, I'll just stand there. What orders do you want from Mr. Liu and the two wives?" Butler Liu put down Erlang's legs, stood up and said, "Ladies, I'll have a chat with Boss Chen, and I'll be ready soon." The second wife and the third wife responded, and didn't even think about talking to them. Butler Liu turned and walked out from one side. He looked normal, neither fat nor thin, neither tall nor short, white-faced and beardless, with smooth features, and in his thirties, he was considered a face of acquaintance.It's just that when he opened his eyes, one eye was big and the other was small. Although there was no expression of joy or anger on his face, there was a sense of philistine cunning from between his brows and eyes, and one could tell from his face that this person was extremely serious. Simple, if it was in the Qing Dynasty, this posture was either a gang leader or a person in power. Steward Liu took two steps and sat at the table. Seeing that Chen Guo was still standing still, he said, "Boss Chen, sit down. I'm already a regular customer. Why are you being polite?" Chen Guoying said: "Sit Guanye Liu, Guanye Liu sits, I'm used to standing." Butler Liu picked up a grape on the table, put it in his mouth, and snorted, "Sit down! Sit down if you're told." Chen Guo broke out in a cold sweat, even claiming it was true, the more Butler Liu spoke like this, the more worried Chen Guo became.Chen Guo carefully sat on one side, but he didn't dare to sit down, his buttocks were only replaced by half of the stool. This Butler Liu looked very noble, but in the simple two sentences just now, there was a sense of gangster and domineering implying in them.Chen Guo knew that Duan Shizhang, the master of Steward Liu, had black and white in Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei. It is not impossible to be the president.But Duan Shizhang doesn't like publicity, but he can be free in the dark and can do things according to his temper. Many chores are handled by Butler Liu. How could Chen Guo dare to offend Steward Liu, Steward Liu could crush himself to death even if he plucked out a single hair, he sat on a chair with a hundred thousand cautions in his heart, guessing what Steward Liu was going to say. Butler Liu spat out the grape skin, coughed, and said, "Boss Chen." "In the!" "I asked you to come. There's nothing special about it. You, Wangfenglou, have a lot of juggling tricks. I haven't seen any of them every time I come here. The second and third wives also like your place very much, Peiping There is no one in the city that can compare to you. But..."