Chapter 13 Section 12

The big clock on the top of the church had just struck five, and the sun was setting in the west.Liu Weizu carried a big leather bag full of books and notebooks, hurried out of the gray and old old building of the law school, boarded his small Renault sports car, and was not far away, sitting on the hillside to his residence. He turned the steering wheel leisurely and slowly along the Naka River, casting his eyes on the golden flowing water from time to time.He couldn't help but praise in his heart: "How beautiful! This sunshine, this river." He felt that the world was so beautiful and harmonious, and he was often moved by this beauty and harmony.Although his emotion has been traumatized, and the scar still hurts when touched, he does not deny that the world is beautiful, the human heart is noble, and happiness is not just an empty term.As for love, he has to admit that the most precious relationship between people is love.For example, he is loved by a group of people, and he loves them too.They gave him hope and confidence and trust, and he was unwilling to live up to their expectations. He worked hard, willingly and with a sense of sacrifice, to be the kind of person they liked him to be.

Who are they?It was the grandmother, the parents, the two younger sisters, and the ancestors of the Liu family who were buried underground.Since Zhuang Jing left without saying goodbye, he has loved them more deeply and sincerely, and realized that only the love of these flesh-and-blood relatives is sincere, unconditional, and uninterested, and he can accept, dedicate, and to rely on. He drove the car slowly, thinking about things leisurely, and vaguely felt a strong nostalgia, faintly coming from the sky, and pounced heavily on him.It reminded him of the life at home, the people in the family, the care of his grandmother, the importance and confidantship of his father, the gentleness and kindness of his stepmother, who treated him as his own kind, the inexplicable admiration of his two sisters, the innocent and pure love... ...what a warm and lovely home!He really misses it.Calculating: Maybe there will be a letter today!Every time he received a letter from home, whether it was from his father, stepmother, or younger sisters, it would give him the greatest joy, and it would attract him to read and read, and the consecutive days would be extremely fulfilling and joyful.

Thinking that there might be a letter from home, he stopped admiring the Naka River in the afterglow of the setting sun. He stepped on the accelerator vigorously, and the airy little sports car climbed up the slope. When they arrived at the residence, the landlord Baker's family had already returned. Their eldest daughter Elizabeth, who was studying in high school, saw him and said to him: "You came back so early? The king hasn't come back yet! Hey! Liu, you have several letters, and I put them on your desk." "Thank you! Elizabeth." He strode up to the third floor.

Sure enough, there were three or four letters on the table.One is from a classmate, the other is a bill from the auto repair shop, the home letter from Taiwan is in the handwriting of my elder sister Meina, and the other is in a completely unfamiliar handwriting, with an unclear address and no signature.The letter made him feel very strange. "Who could it be?" he wondered.Open the letter from sister Mina. As soon as the envelope was opened, a photo fell out, which was a group photo of the whole family: grandmother sitting in the middle, father and stepmother sitting on both sides, Mina and Huina standing behind, the whole family smiling.Look at the words on the back of the photo, it is "taken on the wedding anniversary of my parents", and there is a line of small words below it, which reads: "It's a pity that our dear brother is not here, what a fly in the ointment."

Liu Weizu looked at the photos several times, carefully studying everyone's expressions, and then began to read the letter. Mina's writing skills are very good, and she loves to write letters. When she writes, she writes in two densely packed sheets.This time was no exception. The two sheets of paper were covered with small print, from the activities of her parents’ wedding anniversary to her grandmother’s card luck, from her score of ninety-nine in the English test, and her desire to become a writer in the future. Ambition, from her teacher's nickname to her classmates' myopia.He smiled knowingly while reading it. What a touching, kind and lovely letter!He wished he could fly back to them and tell them how much he missed them, how he loved them, how he longed to be with them.Home is really the warmest and most comfortable place in the world, how lonely and boring it is to spend time alone in a foreign country!Thinking about it this way, his nostalgia became stronger and heavier.

Picking up the unsigned letter, he opened it curiously. Upon seeing it, his blood immediately circulated rapidly, and his face became hot with humiliation and anger. When he saw the end, he was so angry that he threw the paper away. It formed a ball and threw it into the wastebasket. The letter said: His father Liu Jixian was a hypocrite, a beast with a noble appearance and a dirty heart, who ruined a woman's entire life.And this woman is the mother who gave birth to him.He also said that his grandmother was the real murderer behind the scenes, the most vicious and insidious woman.Now the family surnamed Liu is living a comfortable and luxurious life. He is a noble and decent son, but his poor mother is suffering in the world...

He intuitively thought that the words in the letter were all rumors, that his father's business competitors used despicable means to drive a wedge between their father and son and slander his father's reputation.If this person's purpose is really like this, then he has completely failed.The great father is the idol he looks up to, respects and fears, how can it be shaken by a letter from an irrelevant person?As for the grandmother, she is naturally a combination of kindness, dignity, and nobility, so how could she be a "murderer". He immediately denied the content of the letter, and decided to write a letter to his father in two days, reminding him to beware of villains, to try to find out the name of the rumor maker if necessary, hire a lawyer to reason with him, and resort to law.

Heidelberg in spring in April is as beautiful as a girl's smile, pure and sweet, exuding a touch of charm. With his head down, Liu Weizu held his schoolbag in one hand and put the other hand in his trousers pocket, hesitating on the road of philosophy, looking at the Naka River below. The chestnut grove on the hillside by the side of the road has turned green, like a pile of trembling emeralds in the sun.The roses are full of buds, and the pink buds of the rhododendrons are all exhaling fragrance, which makes the air fragrant. When he breathes a little harder, he always feels a compelling fragrance, which enters his nose along with the air .

The Naka River rises in spring, and the river widens a lot. The water is turbulent, whirlpools, singing high and low.Looking at the slowly flowing river, he felt that there were more worries in his chest than the flowing water in the river. Recently, he often deliberately got rid of Lin Bi and wandered on the road of philosophy alone.The classmates joked about him, saying that he was looking for inspiration for poetry!There were also rumors that he and Lin Bi were having a quarrel and were having a quarrel. It is not nonsense to say that he is in a mood, and it is partly correct to say that he is troubled by Lin Bi-it is really troublesome to get involved with a woman who doesn't know how to play love games.In all fairness, Lin Bi could still be called cute.It's a pity that he, Liu Weizu, would never allow himself to be tempted by women again.He is skeptical about love, and really doesn't know whether he should accept her or not?

His greatest distress came from that mysterious anonymous letter.The words in the letter lingered in his mind for many days, biting his heart like a poisonous snake, entangled him tightly - he had picked up the letter from the wastebasket long ago. He really didn't want to believe that the words in that letter were true. What was frightening was that some vague impressions that seemed to be real and illusory, and which seemed to be nothing, became more and more obvious and real because of those words. He remembered that there was indeed such a woman in his impression, that woman had a face covered with white powder and rouge.There is a pair of big black eyes, which once had tears in them, staring at him with tears in them.She has a pair of soft hands with a warm embrace. Those soft hands once held him in her arms and held him tightly.She kissed him, his forehead, his cheek, his hair.There was a mole on her lip, he once stroked that mole, giggling.

At first he thought that the woman in his memory was Zhuang Jing, but after thinking about it later, he felt that something was wrong.He seemed to call this woman "Mom". He once loved and trusted her with all his heart, and his heart was broken because of being forced to separate from her, and his voice became hoarse from crying... Then, more and more obvious images Appeared: a dimly lit hut, dim electric lights in the hut, a man in a red shirt, holding a lollipop, coaxing him to call him Dad...he refused... Mama Ding wrung it with rough hands He had a thigh and called him "raised by a slut", and his grandmother told him over and over again: "Before you came to Taiwan, you were too young, you had no memory, and you didn't know anything. Everything you said was all nonsense. Where did those things come from?" What's the matter?" Is it all a dream?He hoped it was really a dream.However, some of the scenes were so real and clear that he had no way to suspect that they were fake.For example, in his memory, there is a teacher Meng who once taught him to read and draw. Teacher Meng painted him a painting "A Boy Offers Peach", which he still keeps preciously. Could it be that it was also a dream?Is it fake too?If all the things in his impression were true, why did his grandmother and father lie to him?What the hell did they do?What to do with the woman who seemed to be his mother?where is she?she is still alive?If alive where?What's the situation?Why did grandma, father, and former servants Lao Ding and his wife plan to deceive him?Some frequent friends also help cheat? ... He was haunted by these questions all day long. He used to think that it was true, and he also thought that it was just a fantasy, but in fact there were no such things.A moment of anger, a moment of sadness, and a moment of blaming myself for being too cranky.His mood was more chaotic than a tangled mess. "If it's true, if grandma and father are really deceiving me, what should I do?" Every time he thinks of this question, his soul trembles with fright, and he feels that his temple and shrine are built in an explosion that is about to explode. On top of the volcano, it will be completely smashed immediately.Moreover, he loves, trusts, and respects his grandmother and father so much, why would they lie to him?Have the heart to deceive him? ... This kind of guessing, suspicion, the days of joy and sorrow are too painful, and he is determined to get to the bottom of it.When the summer vacation started in early July, he couldn't wait to pack up and fly back to Taiwan. He came back for the first time after leaving home for two or three years, and he was in a strange mood. During the twenty-odd hours of flight, he could not be quiet all the time.So many hypotheses, all kinds of speculations were playing in his mind.He asked himself, "If those things were true, what would I do?" Will it be true?How he wished it were false! He didn't miss any news beforehand.When he was standing at the gate carrying the suitcase, Lao Liang who opened the door was the first to yell loudly. "Why are you back? I didn't hear that you were coming back! Old lady, sir, madam, Mr. Xiao is back!" Lao Liang still called him "Mr. Xiao" as before. Following Lao Liang's cry, his grandmother, parents, and two younger sisters were already standing in the corridor, staring at him in surprise. "Hey! Why are you back? You didn't write a letter beforehand, at least you should make a telegram or a phone call." His father said.I haven't seen him for two years, and my father hasn't changed at all. He is still full of energy, his suit is neat, and his hair is neat as if he just came out of the barber shop. "That's not bad, let's give everyone a surprise!" His stepmother smiled gracefully. "Brother, brother..." The two younger sisters yelled and ran to his side, scrambling to lift the suitcase for him. "I'm homesick and decided to come back temporarily." He said with an ambiguous smile.The wave of contradictions in the heart, the turbulent turmoil.Before he saw them, he was almost sure they had lied to him, hated them, despised them.Unexpectedly, after meeting him, he felt that the group of people in front of him loved him sincerely, and he couldn't even force himself not to love them.He is so conflicted. "My grandson misses me. Good boy, whether you tell me first or not, grandma will be happy to see you." His grandmother stroked his face with her jeweled hand. He was held like a star and a moon.Grandma noticed the sadness between his brows, and asked what was wrong?Too bitter outside?homesick?The stepmother ordered the cook to cook his favorite dishes and snacks for every meal, and the father wished to tell him all about how the business developed rapidly and smoothly.The two younger sisters pestered him with questions, and the older sister Mina insisted that he looked more like the movie star James Dean.Of course they didn't expect that; his "sick of home, come back and see" words he said were just a smokescreen, and his real purpose was to come back and do detective work. Liu Weizu made a special trip to Kaohsiung to find Lao Ding and his wife under the pretext of visiting his former classmates in central China. After Lao Ding and Ding Ma left Liu's house, Liu Weizu only saw them twice.One time, I organized a tour group with my classmates to go sightseeing in the south, passing through Kaohsiung, and stopped by to have a look.The other time was during a weekend during military training, I stayed overnight at Laobai's house.Because Lao Ding and his wife were so unfeeling when they left, his grandmother was very sad and could not forgive her, and she didn't want to see them again, so they knew that they never went to Liu's house again. When Liu Weizu went there twice, Lao Ding and Ding's mother were very enthusiastic about him. Although they didn't call him "Master Weizu" like before, they called him very affectionately!Ding's mother made him his favorite childhood noodle, and Lao Ding forced him to drink half a glass of sorghum wine. "You are so old, why don't you even take a sip of wine, you are too honest." Lao Ding said again and again.He said it so bluntly that even he himself felt a little too honest, so he tried it.As a result, he was not drunk at all, and Lao Ding praised him for being a drinker. Lao Ding and Ding Ma have been in the Liu family for many years, one in charge and the other running out. They are shrewd and experienced, so the three-story hotel they bought is running very smoothly.He lives a leisurely and prosperous life, and he can be regarded as a figure on the scene in the local area. People call him Mr. Ding, Boss Ding, and Mrs. Ding.They never mentioned the past of being called Lao Ding and Ding Ma as servants in the Liu family, as if they had forgotten it long ago, or there was no such history at all. Liu Weizu still called them Lao Ding and Ding Ma when they met. After more than ten years, he couldn't change his words. When he walked into the "Heshun Hotel", Lao Ding was wearing presbyopic glasses and was concentrating on reading the newspaper.Surprised when he came in, he took off his glasses, stood up and said: "What a rare guest! How could it be you? Didn't you go to study abroad?" Lao Ding looked at him carefully, and there were horizontal and vertical wrinkles on his old face with a smile. "I came back for the summer vacation. I miss Lao Ding and Ding's mother. I made a special trip to visit. Are you welcome?" "Tsk tsk, what are you talking about? Please don't invite me, why don't you welcome me? My wife and I often think of you and talk about your childhood. You were really obedient when you were young." "Really? Then we really have a good understanding. Recently, I always think about things when I was a child, so I came to chat with you and Mama Ding. Where's Mama Ding?" "She went shopping in the street, she will come back, you go upstairs and wash your face first!" There happened to be guests staying at the hotel, and Lao Ding went to take care of the guests and ordered a small tea room to take him upstairs. Liu Weizu followed behind the small tea room, carefully observing the decoration and equipment in the "Heshun Hotel", and suddenly found that this hotel is quite high-end, the materials used in the interior are all first-class, and almost every room has hygienic facilities. The equipment, tea room and cleaning workers used more than ten. "How much corruption did this old Ding get in the Liu family? This capital is really not a little bit!" He thought. When he got off after washing his face, he met Mama Ding walking in with a big plastic bag. Mama Ding was wearing a shoulder-length dress, exposing her arms as thick as calf legs.Her thin, gray hair was permed and crooked, covering her head like a piece of rotten sheepskin.The thick and small lips are painted with earth red lipstick, which makes her sweaty, round, big and flat yellow face extraordinarily yellow and bright, making one wonder if she just came out of the oil drum Soaked. Mama Ding saw a young man standing at the top of the stairs staring at her, and immediately stopped those two short and thick legs that were moving forward. "Ouch, who am I? Isn't this Wei Zu? Why are you here?" Mama Ding let out her loudspeaker and yelled. "I miss you, especially when I flew from Germany to see you, Mama Ding." Liu Weizu walked up to Mama Ding and smiled happily. "Hey, isn't this intentionally breaking my old bones? Why do you miss me? You still fly from a foreign country to visit me? Can I believe it? You have also learned to be dishonest." Mama Ding put the plastic bag on the counter, pulled the collar of her clothes with both hands while shaking and said, "It's really hot outside, but it's most comfortable at home. The air-conditioning is so refreshing." "You two really have a way, and you really got rich. Opening a hotel of this scale, among other things, the capital is big enough." Liu Weizu said with a casual smile.After hearing this, Lao Ding quickly argued: "When we opened our business, many friends helped us. How can Mama Ding and I have the strength?" He said, then turned to Mama Ding: "Hey! Ma'am, how about making some sliced ​​noodles for Weizu? It's not early Now, it's time for dinner." "Okay, I'll go after a short break." Ding Ma sat on the wicker chair and looked at Liu Weizu again and again.He smiled and said: "This Wei Zu is more decent the longer he grows, he is tall, and the Fengshen is also majestic, exactly the same as his father when he was young." "Do you remember my dad when he was young?" "Why don't you remember, when I went to your house, your father was not as old as you are now! Only eighteen or nineteen years old..." "You're going to tell a story again, I think you're going to make sliced ​​noodles a lot!" Lao Ding interrupted Ding Ma's words impatiently. "Old Ding, don't block Mama Ding's conversation. I came all the way today to tell you about history." Liu Weizu smiled, but his tone was very firm, as if there was no room for discussion. "Ding Mama, don't make sliced ​​noodles for me. In the past few days when I came home, my mother asked the cook to cook my favorite food. I have eaten all kinds of delicious food. I intend to invite you today. Let's go out to eat. Find a quiet place to talk." "Hey! Why is Wei Zu being polite to us? You come to see us. You are our guest. There is no reason to ask you to invite her." When Ding Ma heard Liu Weizu said that she would invite her, she declined her mouth and was happy in her heart. The face is smiling so that the nose and eyes are squeezed together. "Weizu, did you come here for something? Did your grandma or your father send you here?" Lao Ding pondered for a while, then asked suspiciously. "I came here without telling them, there is something wrong with it." "Why do you keep your grandma and your father behind your back? They still forbid you to associate with us? Your father is still honest. It makes people sad to mention that old lady of your grandma. We have been with her for so many years, but we are not allowed Let's go, she will recognize that we are born to serve others—" "Shut up and stop nagging, okay?" Lao Ding interrupted Mama Ding impatiently again, and said to Liu Weizu: "What do you want to talk about? Talk about it now!" "It's better to go out and find a quiet place, sit down and talk slowly!" Liu Weizu said confidently. Lao Ding and his wife explained the matter of the hotel, and they followed Liu Weizu out.Liu Weizu stopped a taxi and went straight to a western restaurant not far from the port. Before the time to be seated, there were not many customers in the restaurant, more than half of them were foreign sailors.The reason why Liu Weizu chose this restaurant was because the restaurant was full of foreign customers, who didn't understand Chinese, so they didn't have to worry about speaking inconveniently. Liu Weizu ordered the most expensive wine and dishes, but Lao Ding and his wife didn't eat anything.Ding's mother is not used to western food, and Lao Ding doesn't know what kind of medicine is sold in Liu Weizu's gourd?I can't settle down to eat.Liu Weizu had already thought about what he was going to say in his heart, and after a big meal, he ordered another cup of coffee. "Old Ding, Mama Ding, I really want to go back to China this time because of you two." He put sugar in his coffee and smiled meaningfully on his face. "For us—" Lao Ding looked at Liu Weizu in confusion. Mama Ding also figured out that Liu Weizu had indeed come to them for some serious mission.She didn't say anything, just sat by the door uneasy. "Don't be so nervous, I'm not here for your business." Seeing that Lao Ding and Ding Ma were both faintly relieved, he sneered again: "I'm not here for you, but what you did It’s not that I don’t know. After I came back, I went to several places. Lao Ding’s false accounts were caught when he was building a house, selling the house, buying materials, and making furniture. Although it’s been seven or eight years, if you want to It’s still possible to pursue—” "Master Weizu—" Ding Ma whispered in fear. "Don't worry, as I said, it's not for your business. It's not just this time, it's been more than 30 years, so why should I pursue it?" ?Besides, I'm not interested in meddling in such business. It's my own business I want to figure out." "What's the matter?" Lao Ding asked with a guilty conscience, pretending to be fine. Liu Weizu took out a folded white paper from his jacket bag, opened it, and handed it to Lao Ding.Lao Ding took out his glasses from the pocket of his Hawaiian shirt and put them on, carefully watching from beginning to end. "What do you say about the words in this letter?" Liu Weizu stared at Lao Ding. "Oh... oh..." Lao Ding stammered. "What's the matter? Let me take a look." Ding's mother read the letter again and again. She didn't know many words, but she seemed to understand the words in the letter. "Strange, who wrote this black letter?" "I think it's best to ignore this kind of letter, because I don't know the motive of the person who wrote it." Lao Ding said. "No, who wrote this letter? What is the motive? I don't have to pursue it, but I have to find out the truth about my own life experience." Liu Weizu looked at Lao Ding and Ding Ma, and continued: "We are a fair trade. I will keep your shady secrets for you. You want to tell me my whole life experience, what happened at home? The detailed festivals between my father and my biological mother. If you refuse to tell me, I will I'm afraid I have to pursue the things you have done." "Master Wei Zu, don't speak so harshly. The matter between your father and your mother has nothing to do with us, I..." "Why don't you have anything to do with it? I remember you drove my mother out of the gate, and I remember Ding's mother pinching my thigh and calling me a bastard. Why didn't you have anything to do with it?" Liu Weizu asked aggressively with a cold face. "Master Wei Zu, we eat other people's food and do things for them. We will do whatever the old lady asks us to do." Madam Ding argued, blinking her eyelids. "I have been with your grandfather since I was sixteen, and my heart has always been towards your Liu family. People who are not welcome in your Liu family, even if I want to express my sympathy." "Your heart is towards the Liu family, why are you still greedy for the Liu family's money? Using the Liu family's reputation to bluff people outside, bluffing and deceiving?" The words were too straightforward, and Lao Ding and Ding Ma's faces were somewhat ashamed.Liu Weizu continued: "I said before, regardless of your stinking things, what I want to know is about my mother. Tell me, who is my mother and what is her last name? What happened to her and my father? " "Your mother's surname is Lu. I don't know her real name. I only know that her Miss Wu's name is Lu Lu—" "Oh? You mean my mother is a dancer?" Liu Weizu interrupted Mama Ding in surprise. "It's because she is a dancer, so your grandma won't let her in." "How can a person like my father know a dancer—" Liu Weizu couldn't continue when he thought that the dancer was his biological mother. "Oh, it's such a thing." Mama Ding thought: I can't hide it anyway, and the old lady of the Liu family is not as close to them as before, why bother to help her talk?In the past, Wei Zu was a child, easy to bully, but today he is a man of knowledge, the most difficult to provoke, offending him for the sake of Mrs. Liu is not worth it.Thinking about it this way, she started from the beginning with the skill of three stops and six wives that she is usually good at. "It's such a thing. At that time, your father was nineteen years old and went to Shanghai to study at university alone. In fact, he could go to university in Peiping, but because your grandma was too strict with him, he just said that the universities in Shanghai are better than those in Peking. Good. Your grandma expects her son to be successful, so she has nothing to say, so she has to tell him to go. Alas, your grandma! She is so high-spirited! She comes from the third house of a wealthy family..." "Why are you talking about irrelevant things? Don't talk too much." Lao Ding stopped Ding Ma again.Liu Weizu stopped Lao Ding and said: "I want to know this, you ask her to tell her. Ding Ma, go on, my grandma is my grandfather's third concubine?" This was too novel to him, and it was the first time he heard it, so he couldn't help but be a bit skeptical. "You can tell me what to say, don't block me." Ding's mother complained about Lao Ding, and continued to say: "The year I came to your house, your grandma was already called grandma, or Mrs. Marshal, Mrs. Supervisor. Yes. If it wasn’t for the fact that an old subordinate of your grandpa came down to pay New Year’s greetings and called your grandma the third grandma when we met, I wouldn’t even know the details. Your grandma has that prestige, no matter how bad-mouthed the servants are, they dare not talk about her behind her back. At that time, Lao Ding and I just got married, and he didn't say anything about it." "I never nag these mothers-in-law." Lao Ding said expressionlessly. "Yeah! He didn't say anything. But when that daredevil called the third grandma, your grandma's face turned pale. Immediately asked Lao Ding to drive him away. He said, 'This kind of bastard,' and will never go to Liu again. The door of the house." Mama Ding seemed to be telling a story, speaking with great interest. "Later, I secretly asked Lao Ding, what is the ins and outs of this? Lao Ding said: Your grandfather married four people—" "Fourth room? You mean four wives?" Liu Weizu couldn't help asking in surprise. "Well, the fourth room. The first wife is a countryman, tough and tough, and tall. She begged for it when your grandfather was not making a fortune. The second one is a female student. She was forced to get it because she couldn't stand the torture of the eldest wife." , died of opium smoking; your grandma, she was the girl who sang Luozi in the Tianqiao Luozi field. Your grandfather saw her at some warlord’s church meeting, so he married her back and spoiled her like something. Your grandma She is really shrewd, with a flexible mind, and can take care of all the big and small things in the family. Your grandfather valued her, so he simply handed over the family to her." "You haven't seen that old grandma before, so if you don't understand the matter, ask me to tell you." Lao Dingku sat for a while, and finally couldn't stay idle anymore. "That big grandma, she is not smart, and she shouldn't be strong. Later, she smoked opium. As soon as she smoked opium, it was over. It was obvious that your grandma was the one. Your grandma knew that reading and writing are important, so she found a female student. Being a tutor—" "Come on! Don't mention it! Didn't the female student become the fourth room." Mama Ding clicked her mouth. "People in that era should have three wives and four concubines to supervise the situation." Lao Ding finished talking to Ding's mother, and then said: "In that kind of family with three bedrooms and four concubines, the most important thing is the woman. The big granny gave birth to two daughters and one was an idiot. The second granny passed away within a few months. Your granny was just as good as she was, and gave birth to your father after more than a year. Is it more stable than the mountain? The fourth grandma who married later was even worse. She wore myopia glasses and didn't wear rouge or powder. She looked like a female pedant. Then your grandpa made a fuss and died in an accident. Your grandma stayed calm Yes, rearranging the house." "How did you arrange it?" Liu Weizu asked quickly.He had never heard of these "secret histories of the palace" before, and he felt both nervous and exciting, coupled with righteous indignation and curiosity, and listened very intently. "Your grandma first sent someone to send the big smoker's grandma and her two daughters back to the country of origin. She gave a sum of money and sent the fourth bedroom. Immediately afterwards, she ordered all the people in the upper and lower levels to change their names together. She is wife and grandma. Everyone admired the third grandma the most, and now that she has become the head of the family, of course they are all happy to call her that." Lao Ding said so that the corners of his mouth were spitting, and he took a sip of the brandy in front of him. He took a bite, licked his mouth, and continued: "Your grandma supports a family by herself, with your father and a few servants, and the family is not worse than before. She is really strong, which aunt and grandma don't Are you dressed in red and willow green? Your grandma doesn’t—" "Your grandma wore a bun when she was in her thirties. She didn't wear rouge on her face, only a thin layer of powder. The cheongsam on her body was always smooth and smooth, and she couldn't even find a wrinkle." Ding's mother cut off Lao Ding's words. . "Your grandma believed me at that time, asked me for my advice on everything, and asked me to do it." Lao Ding half-closed his eyes and recalled: "At that time, Lao Liang only had his turn to do the rough work of cutting trees, watering flowers and sweeping the yard. " "Then what's going on with my father and my biological mother? You just said that my father went to Shanghai to study at university." Liu Weizu asked unrelentingly. "That's right! Your father went to Shanghai to study at university, went to the dance hall with others, and met your mother. Your mother was only eighteen years old at the time. Because there was a drunk father waiting for her to support her, she had to go to sea to become a dancer. After dancing for a year or two, she didn't become popular at all, but when she met your father, the young master, she didn't even dance with her, and the two of them simply lived together." Lao Ding put down his wine glass and gestured. "Oh? Live together? What does my grandma say?" "How did your grandma know? We don't know at all. It's just strange why your father never writes? The letter is asking for money, and he is busy returning to Shanghai after returning from summer vacation. Isn't your grandma an idiot? I've told her several times." Lao Ding pointed to Mama Ding. "Don't tell me that kid has any foreign affairs, right? A place like Shanghai Beach will move everyone's heart if he goes there——" "That's not true. Your grandma was worried, and I persuaded her: The eldest young master is very decent, honest, and can read books clearly. How could he do ridiculous things?" Your grandma said, "Mother Ding, you can't see people." After all, the more you have never seen the market, the easier it is to be tempted.'Oh! The unexpected words really hit her mark. Soon there was news that your father lived with a dancing girl in Shanghai and even had children. We still can't believe it—” "That child must be me?" Liu Weizu pointed to himself. Lao Ding and Ding Ma glanced at each other, but didn't answer. "Interesting, so the young master of this famous family is an illegitimate child." Liu Weizu sneered twice. "You go on, don't hide from me at all, say." "We couldn't believe it when we heard the news. The result of the discussion was to write a letter to ask your father himself, and see what he said? The letter was written, and your father's reply came soon. He admitted that he was talking to a woman Living together, there is already a three-year-old boy who has been afraid to speak out because he is afraid that your grandma will disapprove. Now that the matter is clear, he has nothing to worry about. He asked your grandma to allow him to marry your mother— —” "Oh, it's like this." A flash of hope flashed in Liu Weizu's heart, thinking: So I'm not an illegitimate child.And from this point of view, my father is a gentleman after all, a man with a conscience and a sense of responsibility, and deserves my respect. "My grandma received this letter, how did she reply?" "Your grandma almost passed out after reading the letter." Mama Ding slapped her two short, fat hands together. "I was combing her hair that day. She didn't say a word for a long time after reading the letter. After a long time, she said: 'What hope do people have? No matter how hard you try, he will slap you in the face.' At that time your grandma I was trembling with anger, but I didn't shed a single tear. Two days later, she suddenly called Lao Ding and me to her, and said, "Let's go to Shanghai to open our eyes and buy plane tickets to pack our suitcases." "That time your grandma planned a surprise inspection, and there was no news about it. After getting off the plane, she called a car and stayed in a big hotel." Lao Ding couldn't help smiling smugly. "At that time, it was considered a great hotel. In my opinion, it was worse than our "Heshun"! We stayed in the hotel for one night, and early the next morning, we called three rickshaws and sat alone. One, I searched for it according to the address on your father's envelope. They lived upstairs in an alley house, with two rooms at the front and one at the back. There seemed to be no decent houses in that area, it was a mess—" Mama Ding couldn't help giggling when she heard this. "We went early, and it was time to empty the toilet. The stench was so bad that one wanted to back away. Your grandma got out of the rickshaw, covered her nose with a handkerchief and said to me: 'This beast has become depraved. It lives here. Such a place, lowly!' She was angry, and her heart ached, and she asked to open the door and went upstairs. Guess what I saw?" "What did you see?" Liu Weizu looked at Ding Ma puzzled. "I saw you!" Mama Ding began to draw pictures again. "I walked ahead of your grandma to open the way, and Lao Ding was waiting at the stairs. As soon as I went upstairs, I saw a chubby little boy standing in front of the door, holding a big leather ball in his hand. I said to your grandma:' Ma'am, it must be this child, don't you see his face is the same as the young master's?" Your grandma looked at you and went into the house without saying a word." "Go straight into the house? How about going in?" "Look at you, what are you doing if you don't go in? Your father and your mother are both here. Your mother is sitting in front of the big mirror. Your father is combing your mother's hair with a comb in his hand! Your grandma is straight, Standing there in a big way really surprised them." “喔、我奶奶说什么？” “你奶奶站了半天不做声，瞪着眼看看你爸爸，又看看你妈妈。你娘知道这是你奶奶兴师问罪来了，赶忙站起来把椅子搬到你奶奶的身后，请她坐，想讨好讨好她嘛！接着就要到楼下去烧茶。这时候你奶奶可就说话了，你奶奶说：'你给我站住，我不用你伺候。'说完她就板着脸坐下了。开始盘问你爸爸是怎么回事？为什么叫他来念书他要做这么见不得人的事？你奶奶说：'你真丢你爹的脸，我都替你害臊。'”丁妈绘声绘影，描述得详尽极了，不时的模仿着他祖母的语调。 “我爸爸的爹，那不是我爷爷吗？”刘慰祖插嘴说。“是你爷爷，那时候的北方人都把父亲叫爹。”老丁在一旁解释。 “我爸爸和一个女人同居就算丢了我爷爷的脸？我爷爷自己还讨了四个老婆呢？这个理怎么讲法？”刘慰祖又是不服气的冷笑。 “你别打岔，听我说啊！”丁妈说上了瘾，急着要发表肚子里的秘闻。“你奶奶问你爸爸为什么这样做？为什么要瞒着家里？你爸爸老实说：知道你奶奶不会准许他们结婚，不敢说。你奶奶一听笑得直出声，说：'我儿子讨媳妇我只有乐，哪会不准呢！不过我总得挑挑，要看看那媳妇合不合我们刘家的格。'接着你奶奶就开门见山的明知故问，问你娘是做什么出身的？你爸垂着脑袋不肯说，没想到你娘自己就说了，承认以前做过舞女。” “哦？我奶奶什么反应？”刘慰祖急切的想知道下文。 “你奶奶听了假笑着说：'你的出身可真叫露脸，你一个当舞女的人，勾搭我们这种人家的孩子，是什么用心？你要多少钱才放手你就说吧！结婚我是绝不会答应，你们现在就要分手，继先得跟我回家去。'” 丁妈说得嘴干，古嘟古嘟灌了半杯果子水下去，又道：“你娘当时哭得泪人儿似的，跪在地上求你奶奶。你爸爸闷嘴葫芦一个，一句话也没有。你奶奶以为他愿意跟着回家呢，哪知道他进去拿个小瓶子出来就往嘴里倒，说是不如死了算了。这下子可把你奶奶吓坏了。”丁妈夸张的眨巴着眼皮。“我奶奶怎么办？” “你奶奶跟他们谈判嘛！正式订条件，她对你娘说：'要是你真没有舞女的习气，真一心一意想跟继先的话，你一定愿意他多念点书，做个成材的人。我们刘家就这么一个后代，你不能就把他这么毁了。'你娘说：'我没要毁他，他一直在念书的。'你奶奶说：'那就好，看样子你是不像一般舞女，很知好歹的。这样吧！继先要依他原来答应我的，把大学念毕业，再到外国走一趟，从外国回来再正式结婚。你们这么久都拖过去了，连孩子都三岁了，也不在乎再等两年。这两年的生活费我照旧给。'你爸跟你娘只好答应了，他们哪里知道你奶奶是缓兵之计呢？”丁妈连连叹息。 “缓兵之计？”刘慰祖不解的问。 “可不是吗？那年你爸毕业了，你奶奶立刻叫他去留学，说是你娘和你由她照顾。她给你娘又做衣服又买首饰，你爸跟你娘都乐，认为你奶奶真承认他们了。哪里知道你爸坐上轮船没几天，你奶奶就说要把你接到北平去住几天玩玩，把你给带走了。把你带走，你爸爸又在外国，你奶奶可就没有的可顾虑了。她打发老丁拿着几条大黄鱼——” “就是十两一条的金子，那时候都把金条叫黄鱼。”老丁解释完挺不高兴的对丁妈道：“只拿了两条，你胡说什么'几条'？你别叨叨起来就收不住那张破嘴。” “是，两条就两条。”丁妈会意的改了口。“老丁拿着黄鱼跟你娘办交涉，说孩子你奶奶留下了，这两条二十两是给她的损失费。说你爸爸不会跟她结婚的，叫她死了心，去另求发展。” “卑鄙、卑鄙。”刘慰祖气愤得脸也红了。“这就是我们高贵人家的骗人手段——” “你别气呀！你也不能全怪你奶奶，你娘当时答应了，金子也收下了，后来又回到舞厅去当舞女。”老丁说。 “我不信。在北平的时候，她明明来跟我奶奶要我，我奶奶不肯给，你们两个当时也是帮凶。” “哟！慰祖少爷，你不能怪我们，我们是吃刘家的饭，做刘家的事，主人叫怎么做就怎么做。”丁妈连忙申辩。 “我们是替你奶奶办事。可是你娘也真是的，你爸爸一走，她就搭上了一个流氓，连着到家里来诈财。到底让她又给诈了一大笔去。”老丁接着丁妈的话说。 “一个流氓？——”刘慰祖微杜眉峰，努力在搜寻着回忆中的片片断断。“对，有那么一个人，穿件大红衬衫，戴顶鸭舌帽，手里拿个棒棒糖，哄着我叫他爸爸——” “他总是穿件红衬衫。现在年轻男人穿粉的红的全不稀奇，在那个年月可显眼得很啊！”老丁呷了一口酒，喷喷嘴，回忆着道：“你娘来闹，你奶奶当然不给，可是他们到你的幼稚园里把你骗走了。” “什么叫骗？她是我的母亲，我是她的儿子，我本来是属于她的，是你们这些狠心冷酷的家伙硬拆散我们母子的——”刘慰祖咬着牙，悲愤的喃喃。在同时，他的脑子里又出现了那间简陋的旅馆小屋，昏黄的灯光，母亲柔长的手、温暖的怀抱、滚热的眼泪、母亲的吻、穿红衬衫的男人手上的棒棒糖——“我母亲是舞女也好，不是舞女也好，她总是生养我的母亲。你们这些人为什么要拆散我们？你们也不必往下说了，我全记起来了；老丁带了一伙人到小旅馆里又把我抢了回来，这次我奶奶就再也不许我出大门了。我母亲几次上门来要我，都被赶出去。丁妈骂我是践人养的，拧我大腿。我奶奶硬编排我有臆想病，爱说梦话……”刘慰祖气呼呼的顿了一下，沉着面孔问：“这时候我爸爸在国外一点消息也不知道吗？他是什么态度？”他本对父亲还抱着一线希望，然而老丁明白的说： “你爸爸在国外认识了你现在的继母，你娘跟他本来也不匹配，又没正式结婚，当然也就算了。不过他写信回家，叫你奶奶把你领回来，并且要给你娘一大笔钱——” “卑鄙、卑鄙，他们把我骗得好苦。我一直看得他们好高，相信他们，全心全意的向着他们，想不到原来是一场骗局，一幕大丑……”刘慰祖的额头冒出汗珠，眼眶里噙着泪，心像碾碎了，痛得滴血。他清楚而悲哀的看到：“自以为美好的世界，残存的梦，已整个破灭。” “慰祖，你不能只往偏处想，你要想想，如果你跟着他们，你会有今天吗？说不定你要吃多少苦，不定会沦落成什么样的人——” “你怎么能够断定我跟着他们就要吃苦？就要沦落成什么样的人？我的命运该由我自己选择，用不着别人替我费心……”刘慰祖冲动的打断老丁的话，抢着说。但是老丁不慌不忙的呷了一口酒，悠悠的道：“我知道得很，慰祖少爷，那个男的后来又来敲诈过——” “你是说他们在台湾？”刘慰祖摒住气问。 “以前是在香港，现在不知道，那个姓魏的——就是那个总穿红衬衫的家伙，专程坐了飞机到你们家来勒索，说是你娘打发他来要钱的，开口就是三十万台币。你奶奶说不给，那家伙说不给或是把他送进监牢都没用，反正他已经跟你娘约好了，他到时候不带钱回去，她就花钱登广告，把所有的老底都掀出来。你奶奶跟你爸爸一听慌了，磨来磨去，给了十五万台币了事，事情也是我办的。” “以后他就不来了吧？” “要是不来敢情好了。”老丁叹了一口气，把脑袋晃了两下。“他境是入不了啦！可是他写过好几封信来，叫把钱寄到香港去，不然就要宣扬秘密，那家伙是个赌徒。” “你有他们的地址？”刘慰祖深沉的问。 “我——”老丁很为难的样子，吭吭哧哧的半天才道：“也许有，不清楚了。” “什么不清楚了？你别想再骗我，一定就在你裤子后头口袋的小本子里，你把本子给我看看。”刘慰祖伸出手。 “何必给你，我自己来看。”老丁勉强的从裤子后袋里掏出个小记事本来，翻来覆去的看。 “慰祖少爷，你去找他们干嘛呀？找到也弄不到一块去。你是洋学生，好人家的大少爷，他们是——” “你不要管我，从现在起，我不再受任何人的管，不再受任何人的骗，我要做什么就做什么，谁也管不了。老丁！你到底找到没有，拿来我找。”他再伸出手。 “你别急，已经找到了。可是你去找他们有什么好处？”老丁把翻开的小本子放在刘慰祖的面前。 “有什么好处？我去找我的亲娘，谈什么好处不好处，你不也有个娘吗？”刘慰祖瞪着眼尖锐的说，立刻掏出记事本来，仔细的抄下“魏超”的名字和地址。 他抄完到柜台付了帐，迈开大步就往外走。老丁和丁妈直叫：“慰祖少爷，你等等……”他却头也不回的去了。