War Photographer's Notebook

Chapter 1178
In the hidden basement, Wei Ran rewound the greasy [-]-style rifle in his hand and put it back into the camphor wood box, and walked towards the two air holes on the wall with a diameter the size of a rice bowl. superior.

Turn on the mobile phone to take pictures with the flash light always on and take a few photos. Wei Ranhua pulled the screen to check, but found that the top of the air vent that was slanting upwards was completely blocked.

After making some estimates, Wei Ran turned around and left the hidden basement, and used the broken padlock to fasten the iron door with the happy announcement on it.

Climbing the rusty steel handrails back to the spacious semi-basement, Wei Ran climbed out along the aluminum alloy ladder by the window, and then carried out a bag of cement and a bag of sand, as well as a plastic basin and a large bucket from the car. Mineral water was sent in one after another.

After mixing the sand and cement, pouring water and stirring, Wei Ran rebuilt the dismantled small door with the dismantled bricks, relying on the little tricks he learned when he followed his uncles to build the kang in Inta. On the base, and then moved the iron cabinet that originally contained the weapons over to block it tightly.

Of course, he didn't intend to secretly hide those scraps of metal that were still lethal. He didn't lack weapons, and he didn't need weapons at all when he lived here. Those things would have to be handed in after all.

But now it's the New Year's Eve, and he doesn't want all the New Year's celebrations to stop.What's more, even if he wanted to hand it in, he had to figure out what happened here in the first place.

"Anti-Japanese murder group."

While muttering, Wei Ran sent the remaining cement out along the window, and then threw the electric fan used for ventilation into the basement, and then used his poor craftsmanship to seal the window that was just opened.

After taking off the dusty fake camouflage uniform on his body and putting on the clean clothes in the car, Wei Ran pulled off the power cord, held a flashlight, and walked step by step in the yard according to his memory.

After some measurements, he finally stopped between the wall of the small building and the courtyard wall and found something abnormal.At first, it was full of all kinds of garbage.

Now, although the rubbish has been cleaned up by the second uncle and the workers, a long flower bed has also been cleaned up.

There is a ring of irregular shapes around the flower bed, but each one can have pebbles the size of watermelons.In the flower bed, besides the white pebbles, you can also see two stone lamps distributed among them.

These two stone lamps are in the shape of an octagonal pavilion, each with a base diameter and height of more than half a meter, and a large number of holes are carved on the eight facades.

Holding the octagonal top cover of one of the stone benches with both hands, Wei Ran tried hard and then resolutely chose to give up. This thing could not be moved by himself, but he was almost sure that the two ventilation holes were probably hidden in the In this stone lamp.

And such an exquisite design also made him more curious about the history behind this small building and the stories that have long been obliterated by time.

Opening the locked iron door, Wei Ran glanced at the "general protection level" historical building notice board on the outer wall and shook his head secretly. Although he left the work of cleaning up this small dilapidated building to his parents, he did But Tian also heard complaints from the second uncle and mother about how troublesome it is to go through the procedures in order to renovate this dilapidated house.

Since it is "general protection", does it mean that even the official may not know what happened here?

Thinking hard to no avail, Wei Ran drove the car out in the dark, re-locked the rusty iron gate, and drove straight to the capital overnight.

In the blink of an eye the next morning, Wei Ran, who barely rested for a few hours in a hotel near the airport, drove his freshly washed car to the airport, gathered four girls headed by Sui Sui, surrounded by envy With strange eyes, he walked towards the airport pick-up port.

"What did you find out last night?" Sui Sui, who was sleepy, leaned on Wei Ran's shoulder and yawned until she sat down in the rest area near the airport pick-up gate.

"I didn't find anything." Wei Ran shook his head regretfully. Not only did he not find anything, but his inner doubts grew more and more.

Hearing this, Sui Sui yawned, "If you didn't find it, then you didn't find it. What are you going to do with the small building after it's renovated?"

"How to deal with what?" Wei Ran, who was distracted, asked subconsciously.

"Use it to live or just leave it like that?"

Sui Sui, who was shrouded in sleepiness, finally regained consciousness, "If I want to live here, I have to find a designer to design it."

"Do you want to live there?" Wei Ran asked with a smile.

"You still want to live in Kazan all your life? Don't you have to come back sooner or later?"

Sui Sui asked back, "If I could live in that small western-style building, it would be much more convenient than living in Cangzhou. We've been back here for a few days and haven't been there. If I knew I wasn't so interested in helping to watch It's under renovation."

"Let's decide after I investigate what happened in that small building." Wei Ran gave an ambiguous answer.

After chatting for a long time, the rich woman Koko came out with her Indian housekeeper and a cart full of suitcases.

"Although!" Kou Kou shouted enthusiastically from a long distance away.

"Koukou!" Sui Sui immediately responded.

After the two rich women, who obviously did not understand the language, but had an excellent relationship, had finished greeting each other with the help of sisters Katenka's interpreter, Wei Ran took them straight to the parking lot and got into the car.

In the next few days, apart from acting as a driver for these girls who are focusing on eating, drinking, having fun and visiting scenic spots every day, Wei Ran put all his energy into finding clues related to that small building, and he even didn't forget to ask for help. Xia Shushi who came back from the Simpson family in Australia.

As the saying goes, Kung Fu pays off, just three days before New Year's Eve, Wei Ran has already taken the girls to visit all the attractions in the capital, and when he was preparing to return to his grandma's house the next day, Xia Shushi was also here A photo was sent at almost ten o'clock that night, and calls were made over and over again.

Wei Ran, who was sitting on the sofa, and Sui Sui, who was exercising on his lap, looked at each other helplessly. The latter rolled his eyes and got up and walked to the bathroom. Wei Ran was finally willing to pick up the phone that had been ringing and press the Press the answer key.

"You don't go to bed so early, do you?"

As soon as the call was connected, Xia Shushi, a single dog, complained innocently, and then hurriedly asked without waiting for Wei Ran's answer, "Did you see the photo I just sent you? About that small building upstairs."

"Let me see"

Wei Ran yawned intentionally as he spoke, and after turning on the hands-free and recording, he clicked on the photo sent by Xia Shushi.

This photo was taken of an old poster with cross creases, showing a beautiful woman in a cheongsam holding a small fan and a string of pearls around her neck.

On this poster that Wei Ran had seen in the hidden basement, the words "Miss Meixiang is here in person, Seventh Heaven ballroom ball!" were clearly written.

"In the winter of 1930, the famous actor Shang Xiaoyun lost his wife. At that time, it was rumored that three women were most likely to become his new wife."

After a short pause, Xia Shushi said, "One is Xue Yanqin, the earliest Peking opera actress in China, and the other is said to be a Qing Dynasty princess. The last one is Meixiang, a famous prostitute in Tianjin at that time, that is, the woman in the photo."

"I know this"

Wei Ran responded, "I looked it up on the Internet a few days ago, and the information I saw said that Mei Xiang, a famous prostitute who sells her skills but not her body, is not only good at singing and dancing, but also looks very similar to Shang Xiaoyun." , the most important thing is that as long as there is Shang Xiaoyun's performance, she will go to see it.

But it was also mentioned in the public information I saw that the last three were not together with Shang Xiaoyun, and the one who married him was Mei Lanfang's niece. "

"That's true." Xia Shushi on the other end of the phone said proudly, "Next, I'll tell you something you don't know."

Having said that, Xia Shushi cleared his throat, and said with a little pride, "According to the clues I have investigated, this Miss Meixiang, who admires Shang Xiaoyun, is surnamed Tao, and she and Young Marshal Zhang are fellow villagers.

She not only knows Jinmen Dagu and Peking Opera and Kunqu Opera, but also plays the piano, dances ballroom dancing very well, and even speaks German, English and Japanese.

On the other hand, although this Miss Meixiang is a performer but not a person, it costs 50 yuan just to chat with her for an hour, and she needs to make an appointment in advance. "

"How much?" Wei Ran was stunned, "Just chatting?"

"No, it depends on the identity of the guest. If it's an old hat who can't read a few big characters, this Miss Meixiang won't welcome her even if she is rich."

Xia Shushi sighed, "According to the current currency value, it is almost equivalent to 2000 yuan for a bell, and it's just for chatting."

"Where did you find the clue?" Wei Ran became more and more curious.

"The Fengyue Pictorial, founded by Ye Yongfang, a famous scholar in Jinmen, in 1933, mainly describes the lives of prostitutes, dancers, and waitresses in Pingjin, Shanghai, and Shanghai."

Xia Shushi became more and more complacent, "After much effort, I finally found a few words about this famous courtesan Meixiang in a Fengyue pictorial."

"Did the above say anything else?" Wei Ran asked.

"It is only rumored that this famous prostitute, Mei Xiang, runs a love letter apartment in the British Concession."

Xia Shushi paused and continued, "That's all. After the fall of Jinmen in 1937, Fengyue Pictorial stopped publishing, so I'm afraid it will be difficult to find clues from this spring buying guide.

Brother, I suspect that the small building you showed off to me two days ago might be the Shuyaoshu Apartment run by that courtesan. "

"Is there any record about that small building in the official historical files?" Wei Ran automatically ignored the other party's teasing and continued to ask.

"It does exist"

Xia Shushi said, "According to the historical records I found, your building was built by a British missionary who trafficked in opium in 1920, but this house was sold in 1930, and the person who bought it seems to be Young Marshal Zhang. an adjutant."

"A lieutenant of Zhang Shaoshuai?" Wei Ran frowned, "Where did you find the clue?"

"Davis, a British businessman who founded Ruilong Foreign Firm"

Xia Shushi continued, "Davis was very famous at the time, his father was a soldier of the Eight-Power Allied Forces who invaded China, and he himself was a very shrewd businessman.

When Gao Xingqiao built Quanyechang, he was short of funds, and he acted as an intermediary. For example, Macquarie Bank borrowed 50 yuan to build it.

This Davis not only does stock and foreign exchange business, but also specializes in buying real estate in the British Concession for the old mites and warlord landlords at that time to earn commissions.

He helped that adjutant buy that house, or bought it for someone else in the name of that adjutant. I suspect that the real buyer might be that Miss Meixiang. "

Speaking of this, Xia Shushi took a deep breath, and then continued, "What I just said was found in a transaction file left by the Ruilong foreign company founded by Davis. When the Jinmen was liberated, At that time, these materials were relatively intact.”

This time, without waiting for Wei Ran to ask, Xia Shushi added, "Of course, there are not many mentions in the file, only a few lines, which probably record a few words such as what year and month he helped who traded the real estate and how much the commission was. .”

Looking at Sui Sui who came out of the bathroom wrapped in a bath towel and sat on his lap again, Wei Ran hugged her and asked with a normal expression, "What else did you find?"

"The last clue," Xia Shushi said, "I asked the beast to help find this one."

"You said it"

After Wei Ran urged Xia Shushi, he did not forget to kiss Suisui.

Xia Shushi on the other end of the phone didn't know what Wei Ran was busy with, so he just sent a picture and said, "After the founding of the People's Republic of China, this house was assigned to a state-owned unit as a staff dormitory in 67. In the spring of 79, the house was repaid to a woman named 'Yang Panyi'.

But in the autumn of that year, the owner of this house was inherited by a woman named Cao Qiushi, who was Yang Panyi's goddaughter.

Then in 1984, the owner of this house became a man named Tao Canhua, who was husband and wife with Cao Qiushi.

Since then, the property rights of this house have changed again, and it was in your hands not long ago through a free gift. "

"and many more"

Wei Ran stopped Xia Shushi, and at the same time stopped Sui Sui who was teasing him, "You just said that after the founding of the People's Republic of China and before I took over this house, it has never been traded from the beginning to the end, all through inheritance. To change the property owner?"

"yes"

Xia Shushi replied, "This is what Qinshou found out for me. I just forwarded the chat records between him and me to you."

"Do you have any information about Yang Panyi and Cao Qiushi?" Wei Ran asked.

"Yang Panyi retired as a canteen worker in a local quilt factory in Jinmen after the founding of the People's Republic of China. This old man didn't die until he was 83 years old."

Xia Shushi was prepared to reply, "That Cao Qiushi, according to the records I found, was the first to be a ticket seller in a local movie theater in Jinmen. She worked in this job until she retired in 1981. Unfortunately, she was Died in '84."

"Is there any other information?" Wei Ran asked.

"That's all, but I'm surprised that the records about this house are so detailed."

Xia Shushi said as if asking for credit, "Of course, don't think it's easy to find these materials. Let me tell you, the ones I just mentioned are useless. If it weren't for the fact that you introduced the rich woman to me last time." life."

"Okay, okay, hang up, I'm busy here."

Without waiting for the other party to finish speaking, Wei Ran hurriedly hung up the phone and threw it away, and continued busy with another extremely important matter.

In the blink of an eye, the next day, Wei Ran got up early, compared the recording of the call with Xia Shushi yesterday, and carefully sorted out the clues he got on his laptop.

However, looking at the extra names and time points above, Wei Ran has more doubts in his heart.

Suppressing the curiosity in his heart, Wei Ran waited for Sui Sui to wake up, and turned into a driver again, driving the girls who had had enough fun all the way back to his grandma's house in Baiyangdian.

However, it took only four or five days. When he drove the car to the door of his grandma's house, the people in the car saw from a distance that a stage had been set up in the small square across the road.

At this time, some people with facial makeup on the stage were babbling and singing in costumes, and beside the stage, there were some old men who couldn't even get together their mouthful of teeth, and they were playing various kinds of music. Chinese traditional musical instruments.

Under the stage, not only were there sitting or standing villagers applauding, but there were also some stalls selling various snacks such as roasted sweet potatoes and candied haws.He even saw that even the secretary of the Party Committee of his grandma's village was wearing a suit he didn't know where he got it, and was accepting the call from the pretty little reporter from the county TV station with a red face and spit flying around. Interview—that beautiful reporter is still his junior high school classmate.

"Have you really started singing?" Wei Ran and Sui Sui muttered in unison, and at the same time lowered the windows of their cars.

When the cold wind outside the window blew into the car, everyone also heard a melodious libretto coming out of the speakers on the stage - talking about ambitions to save Xinghe, empty arms and snow blades, lamenting the life and death of heroes farewell in distress
(End of this chapter)