War Photographer's Notebook

Chapter 1184 An auspicious day
On the evening of the first day of employment in Xuqingshu Apartment, after dinner, the sun sank below the horizon. After Mama Yang finished cleaning the dining table, three girls, Meixiang, Jasmine, Qiushi, and a dumb Cao sat around the table. Mahjong was played on the four sides of the Eight Immortals table.

Tao Canhua, who was wearing a long gown, was not idle either. He was guarding a cowhide storytelling drum not far away at this time, performing the classic song "Straw Boat Borrowing Arrows" from Jingyun Dagu by himself.

However, after just looking at the poker table for a short time, Wei Ran discovered that Mei Xiang and Jasmine seemed to be playing tricks!And it was done under the guidance of Dumb Cao!

Even the girl Qiu Shi, who looked soft and weak and looked shy, could shake the dice clock at will and shake out a "one pillar supporting the sky".

Seeing that these people were all busy, Wei Ran simply asked the eldest cousin who was busy stealing cards for instructions, and then got the key from Miss Qiushi, and then went upstairs alone into the locked darkroom inside.

This darkroom is the same size as the storage room downstairs leading to the basement. Apart from some wooden printing equipment and a green tin cabinet that stores various consumables such as medicine, photo paper, etc., the only furniture in the room is a A small table and a chair.

On the table, there is only a copper-cased horseshoe watch, a small electric fan, and a small desk lamp with a red light bulb.

After a little familiarity, Wei Ran locked the door and closed the wooden shutters of the windows, and finally closed the three-layer thick curtains, and then started the printing work.

During his busy schedule, all the negatives were developed, and then turned into black and white photos.

Thanks to the aesthetics of later generations, the Meixiang recorded in these photos and a few photos of Qiushi have somewhat got rid of the unique atmosphere of the Republic of China era.

While waiting for the photos to dry, Wei Ran also opened the window, lit a cigarette in the night, and let the warm night wind blow away the puff of smoke.

Looking at the last three cigarettes left in the cigarette case, Wei Ran secretly sighed, thinking to himself, what is the meaning of the daily task of one pack of cigarettes.

During the somewhat long wait, when Wei Ran went downstairs with a stack of dried photos, the game on the first floor was still going on, but Qiu Shi had already posted several photos on the face of this little girl. note.The one who also had a note on his face was Yang Ma who replaced Dumb Cao.

Taking a look at Tao Canhua who was still performing, Wei Ran put all the photos in his hand and a few film rolls on the table, and at the same time put the key to the darkroom on the card table, "Cousin, the photos are finished. Yes, all the negatives are here. Qiushi, this is the key to the darkroom."

"You will hold the key from now on"

As Meixiang said, she had already thrown out a piece of Dongfeng, picked up the stack of photos, and said at the same time, "Qiu Shi, put away the negatives and put them in the small study at night."

Hearing this, Qiu Shi immediately picked up the few films and put them in his pocket, and at the same time, he, Jasmine and Yang Ma moved to Mei Xiang's side, and looked at the photos taken by Wei Ran under the bright light .

Amid the praises of these women, Wei Ran returned to his room with a smile on his face, dug out the shoe brushes, shoe polishes and shoe polish he bought at noon, sat on the deck chair on the balcony, lit a cigarette again, and watched A small lamp carefully brushed up the leather shoes.

In the blink of an eye the next day, Wei Ran got up early, and after getting dressed, he didn't forget to take out the silver pocket watch and check the time with the big clock on the first floor.

Not much later than him, Mute Cao and Tao Canhua got up one after another, followed by Ms. Qiu Shi also came down from the stairs, called Tao Canhua who had just washed up, and went to the semi-underground practice room to start practicing exercises.

Amidst the vaguely babbling voices, Mama Yang also helped everyone to prepare breakfast with the help of Jasmine. Dumb Cao cleaned the yard with a big broom, and Mama Yang even wiped out Wei Ran. Arranged a job watering the flowers and feeding the parrots.

While chatting with Yang's mother, Wei Ran also learned that the colorful parrot with a particularly broken beak was a gift from a comprador of a Belgian foreign company to Mei Xiang in spring.

It's a pity that this silly bird is too noisy, so after only staying on the terrace on the third floor for two nights, Mei Xiang put him in limbo and kept him in such a corner where he couldn't see or worry.

After feeding the lively big parrot with a few walnuts, Wei Ran watered the small flower beds scattered around the small building, and also helped to plant the small flower beds in the small space behind the kitchen. Those shallots and the like are watered.

After everyone finished their work, breakfasts like rice porridge, pickles, boiled eggs, etc. were also placed on the table on the first floor. There was even a large bag of golden fried dough sticks in the middle of the table—this was what Jasmine had just bought when she went out on a bicycle.

However, Mei Xiang was not among the people eating breakfast. According to Qiu Shi, Miss Mei Xiang won't get up until 09:30. If no guests come to the door that day, she can sleep until eleven o'clock. I didn't get up until lunch time.

After eating breakfast while chatting, Cao Yaba drove away from the small courtyard alone, and Jasmine also called Qiu Shi and Tao Canhua to the underground practice room, and even Yang Ma started cleaning the room on the first floor.

On a rare occasion, Wei Ran took a rag, and while helping his nominal aunt wipe the tables, chairs and furniture, he asked in a low voice, "Auntie, I heard from Jasmine yesterday that Shang Xiaoyun saved Miss's life." ?”

“Not so bad”

Yang Ma subconsciously glanced at the direction of the stairs and the storage room, then waved her hand at Wei Ran, signaling him to follow her to the back of the floor-to-ceiling windows facing the small flower bed, while wiping the windows one by one. Explained in a low voice, "I heard Xiao Su's mother say that when Miss's mother was alive, she was the second concubine raised by some officer of the Beiyang Army, and Xiao Su's mother was the fourth concubine bought by that officer from a brothel.

Later, when the young lady was six years old, her father died in a war, and his original wife drove the young lady, her mother, and Xiao Su's mother out.

The three of them begged all the way to Jinmen, and Xiao Su's mother resumed her old business, and from time to time, she also helped the young lady and the two of them, so that they survived.

But within two years, there was a flood in Jinmen, the young lady's mother contracted cholera and died, and the young lady also got separated from Xiao Su's mother.

At that time, Shang Xiaoyun came to Tianjin to perform a charity performance for disaster relief, and saw a young lady begging for food at the entrance of the theater, so he gave her five oceans, and helped her find Xiao Su's mother. "

"What happened next?" Wei Ran asked in a low voice.

"Xiao Su's mother is a knife-mouthed tofu-hearted"

Mama Yang sighed, "Not only did she adopt Miss, but she also begged a good friend to find a church school for Miss to study in, but Xiao Su's mother is not young after all, and she choked her lungs when she had a flood." .

Later, seeing that life became more and more difficult, the young lady took the initiative to enter this business. If it hadn't been for the protection of Xiao Su's mother these years, the young lady would have been gnawed clean, let alone keeping her innocence. "

"No wonder the lady didn't let me hurt Xiao Su's mother that day"

Wei Ran muttered something pretending to be suddenly enlightened, but then asked, "Since they have such a relationship, why can't Xiao Su's mother come here?"

"What about her?"

Mama Yang covered her mouth with a smile, and lowered her voice a little, "After the young lady becomes popular, Mama Xiaosu will not have to worry about her life, and there is a manager of a foreign firm who can be so obsessed with her. Big fat.

I heard from Jasmine that Xiao Su's mother usually lives with that devil's manager. I'm afraid that the devil will take a fancy to Miss, so why would she come and live here and ask for trouble? "

"Oh—" Wei Ran responded with a long voice.

"You just need to know about it, but don't dare to talk nonsense."

Although Mama Yang gave such instructions, just by looking at her expression, she could tell that this one was still immersed in the joy of gossip.

Through the Huatou, Wei Ran also learned some trivial information by insinuating.For example, Meixiang is only 28 years old this year, Jasmine is only 24 years old, Qiushi is even younger, just 17 years old, and Cao Dumb is only 33 years old this year, and the oldest among them is Yang Ma, who is already 40 years old.

In addition, he also learned in a few words that after September [-], the son and husband of his Aunt Yang were killed by the little devils. She was picked up by Meixiang when she fled to Peiping After that, she has been following Mei Xiang's side to do housework.

After chatting here, Cao Dumb also drove the car into the yard, and soon after, he came in with two bags, and after giving one of them to Wei Ran, he went into the basement with the other.

After taking the package and opening it, Wei Ran found that besides a Chinese tunic suit and two white shirts, there was also a cardboard box inside. When he opened the box, there were ten rolls that could be used in Rollei. Film on double reverse.

"Miss is very satisfied with the photos you took yesterday. I guess I want you to take more photos." Yang Ma reminded with a smile on her face.

"When I have a chance, I will take some more photos for Miss." Wei Ran put away his baggage and responded, then walked towards his room.

When he hid in the room and changed into a new shirt, he found a rickshaw parked at the gate of the small courtyard, followed by the little Su Ma who was talking about it just now, also carrying a small white bag with a foreign style, twisting An overly round body walked in.

"Mei Xiang, Mei Xiang!"

Far away from the gate, this little Su mother shouted loudly like that noisy parrot, "Is this damn girl still sleeping late? Qiushi! Wake her up, Mr. Ueda will come soon Yes! Qiushi! Where's Qiushi? Jasmine!"

Screaming all the way, Xiao Su's mother also ran into the small building like a whirlwind of thick meat.

Although Wei Ran was taken aback by Wei Ran who was smiling and looking at her, this little Su's mother still ran upstairs and said, "You, what is your name, Wei?"

"Wei Ran"

"What kind of reputation is this?"

Xiao Su's mother muttered in disgust, and then continued to say in a loud voice, "After Mr. Ueda comes, you go to the basement to hide, you are not allowed to come out, and you are not even allowed to fart."

After finishing speaking, little Su's mother didn't wait for Wei Ran's response, and went upstairs without a trace.

Seeing this, Wei Ran and the helpless Yang Ma looked at each other, and the latter pointed to the upstairs, then turned around and got into the kitchen, obviously planning to stay out of sight and out of mind.

Immediately afterwards, Jasmine and Qiu Shi also came up from the basement and went upstairs quickly.

In less than 20 minutes, when Qiu Shi called Wei Ran and Tao Canhua up to the second floor, Mei Xiang had already changed into the small dress she wore during the photoshoot yesterday, and she even had a pair of lace gloves on her hands.

"Cousin, please go sit in the darkroom later and don't make a sound."

With the help of Jasmine, Meixiang smoothed her face with rouge and powder, and said to herself, "Nephew, you can play the erhu behind the screen later, you can play any tune as you like, and you are not allowed if the horseshoe watch does not ring." stop."

"Just me?" Tao Canhua asked nervously.

"You are enough." Mei Xiang glanced at Wei Ran after finishing speaking, "Can I trust you?"

"Don't worry, cousin," Wei Ran replied with a smile.

Hearing this, Meixiang smiled, then nodded to Qiushi.Seeing this, the latter immediately opened a jewelry box and took out two small silver pistols from it.

Although the other party is separated by a table, Wei Ran still recognizes at a glance that one of these two small pistols is the one he saw in later generations - the silver dollar inlaid on the grip patch of the small pistol It's so recognizable.

Because of this, Wei Ran focused all his attention on another small pistol that was almost exactly the same.

This small pistol also uses a grip patch that seems to be made of ivory, but it is different from the other one. On the patch of this pistol, there is no silhouette carving of a costume, but in the center, each is inlaid Wearing a silver penny that is only a circle bigger than the thumbnail.

Taking advantage of Miss Qiushi's efforts to press bullets into the magazines of the two small pistols, Wei Ran took a closer look, only to find that these small pistols, which had never been seen in later generations, were not Browning's 1906, but twin sisters. Another product from Colt is the 1908 pocket pistol, which can be distinguished from the safety notch of the slide and the inscription on the slide.

Not only that, but the sleeve of this small Colt pistol does not have any inscriptions engraved on it.

As for the two silver pennies inlaid on the grip patch, one of the exposed sides has Yuan Datou's profile and the embossed words "Five Years of the Republic of China".

When Qiushi put the magazine on this Colt and turned it over, he also noticed that on the other side of the grip patch, there was nothing but the " In addition to the words "one corner", there is also the words "every ten pieces are worth one yuan".

While Wei Ran was secretly staring at these two small pistols, Mei Xiang had already picked up this Colt's skilled pull sleeve to top the bullet, and then snapped on the safety, and then pinned it to the quilt skirt. Put on the covered stockings.

A little later, Qiu Shi, a little girl who looked harmless to humans and animals, also put the safety on the top of the small pistol that Wei Ran had seen in later generations, and put it in the pocket of the white apron she just wore.

Until this time, Mei Xiang said bluntly to Wei Ran, "I still can't trust you, and I'm not used to relying on men."

"understand"

While Wei Ran was speaking, he glanced at Xiao Su's mother who seemed to be used to it for a long time.

"Look at what?"

Xiao Su's mother glanced at Wei Ran with extremely disgusted eyes, and walked downstairs while carrying her bag, and said, "Protect Mei Xiang, if something happens to her, I can't spare you, you stinky boy!"

"Little Su Mom"

Mei Xiang stopped Xiao Su's mother who was about to go downstairs, and said with a smile on her face, "Since last night, Wei Ran is my cousin from my fourth aunt's family, and Canhua also changed to Tao. He called me aunt, what do you think?" How about it?"

"He called you aunt?"

Xiao Su's mother automatically ignored Wei Ran, glanced at Tao Canhua with disdain, and said inexplicably, "Wenwen is weak and cowardly, but he is as cowardly as your stupid nephew who doesn't know how to live or die, so that's it." Bar."

"What do you think of my cousin?" Mei Xiang asked again, as if she was afraid that Xiao Su's mother would forget about Wei Ran.

"Don't just be a silver wax head gun that looks bluffing"

Xiao Su's mother, who had no good words in her mouth, snorted, and continued to walk downstairs while muttering indistinctly, "Protect your cousin, Mr. Ueda will be here in 10 minutes at most."

Before the words fell, the overly round figure of this fat aunt with a greasy fragrance was completely blocked by the stairs, leaving only the sound of heavy footsteps.

"Okay, let's go to our own business."

Mei Xiang glanced at the delicate gold watch on her wrist while speaking, then reached out to pick up the cigarette case and the cigarette holder in a small plate on the table, slowly combined them together and put them in her mouth, letting Wei Ran take the lead Help her ignite it one step at a time.

Although this beautiful cousin is a smoker, she has a good posture, and even her whole temperament has become quite heroic with this cigarette.

"Cousin's temperament today is even better than when she took the photo yesterday"

Wei Ran praised him sincerely, walked into the dark room with Mei Xiang's rather handsome bright smile, and locked the door behind him.

Opening the window ahead of time, Wei Ran took out the Camel cigarettes he bought yesterday, pulled out a cigarette holder and lit it, while thinking secretly, after Mr. Ueda left, he had to find a chance to go out and buy a pack of cigarettes.

It didn't take long, and in the sudden start of the erhu solo, accompanied by the sound of footsteps and the flattering Japanese words that seemed to come out of Xiao Su's mother, the second floor became lively.

What Wei Ran didn't expect was that Mei Xiang, who was only a door away, could actually speak Japanese very well - at least much better than Xiao Su's mother.

What surprised Wei Ran even more was that Meixiang's voice no longer had the sweet girlish tone before, but instead had a rather strong "sister-in-law look" whether it was due to the addition of foreign languages ​​or on purpose.

"Miss Meixiang can actually speak Japanese?" Outside the door, a man suspected to be Mr. Ueda also asked in Japanese in surprise.

"please sit"

Meixiang greeted her in Japanese, and then explained, "I have been friends with Mr. Someya Yukio, a reporter from the Osaka Asahi Shimbun, for many years. His wife Someya Junko is my Japanese teacher. Of course, I am also Mrs. Someya. Chinese teacher."

"So that's how it is," Mr. Ueda suddenly realized.

In the living room on the second floor, as Qiu Shi brought two cups of fragrant tea, Xiao Su's mother who led Ueda up also went downstairs with a smile on her face, and turned over while her figure was covered by the stairs. He rolled his eyes, then sat down on the sofa on the first floor, opened the leather bag he was carrying, took out three envelopes of silver dollars from it, handed them to Jasmine and whispered, "Let that damn girl save some money, this war is so chaotic!" If you don’t have any money, you’ll starve to death someday.”

"Understood, Xiao Su's mother—"

Jasmine responded casually with a long tone, and after putting away the three envelopes of silver dollars, she refocused her attention on the stack of photos in her hand.

"Where did this photo come from?"

Little Su's mother snatched the photo from Jasmine's hand.

Secretly admired the young lady's ability to predict things like a god, and Jasmine, who was arranged in advance to show the photos here on purpose, deliberately lowered her voice and said, "Wei Ran took the pictures for the young lady yesterday, and his pictures are better than those from Ding Zhang Photo Studio The masters invited here are all good at taking pictures.”

"Let me see"

As Xiao Su's mother said, she had already looked at the photos that were developed yesterday one by one, but she didn't notice at all. Jasmine, who used to smoke one by one at this time in the past, rarely did not light a cigarette today. , even the old smoker Cao Dumb seems to hide outside the yard to smoke.

"The photos are really good, I'll pick a few and take them away."

As Xiao Su said, she had already selected a few photos of Meixiang from the pile of photos and put them aside, and when she saw the last one, she inevitably noticed the group photo.

Seeing this, Jasmine also followed what Mei Xiang had instructed her in advance, and said in a timely manner, "Yesterday, Miss regretted that Xiao Su's mother was not there when the group photo was taken, and she asked me to talk to you today, so that you don't rush to leave, wait until noon When you're done, take another photo with us."

"If this damn girl has a heart"

Xiao Su's mother's slightly mean fat face finally had a smile again, but soon, she threw the leftover photos to Jasmine, putting the picked ones into her bag with a look of disdain He said, "Who likes to take pictures with you poor servants! I have something to go back first, and prepare a meal for me at noon, and I will come over then."

"Okay, what do you want for lunch?" Jasmine said with a smile while tidying up the scattered photos on the table.

"Let's make stewed noodles, and pour cold water a few times."

While talking, Xiao Su's mother hurried out of the gate, but she was still muttering in dissatisfaction, "That old mother can also make braised noodles, and she must be caught blind if she fry a steak."

When the door was closed, Mama Yang, who had been hiding in the kitchen just now, also came out, and said with a smile, "Is she going back to change clothes?"

"It must be done well"

Jasmine also said jokingly, "Mother Su is such a stinky person, maybe she can turn out the mink fur coat she has been showing off all winter and put it on, so that Big Brother Wei Ran can take some good photos."

"No wonder you asked me to put the noodles in cold water several times." After Mama Yang finished speaking in a low voice, she covered her mouth with Jasmine and laughed quietly.

At the same time, Wei Ran, who was hiding in the darkroom upstairs, not only didn't smile, but frowned.

Because in the living room just across the door, the devil named Ueda started chatting with Meixiang not long after, and then began to inquire about some trivial information about some celebrities he was familiar with in history books.

Just from the other party's chatting skills, Wei Ran has already judged that this Ueda is probably collecting some kind of information.

Fortunately, his pretty big cousin Meixiang not only changed her temperament at this time, but also her words were tight. Although she knew everything, she didn't actually reveal any valuable information. Lead the topic to topics such as music, art, or emotions.

Even at the end of the two-hour chat, Miss Mika, who spoke and behaved like a royal sister, not only played a song "To Alice" for this ghost named Ueda on the piano, but also successfully It reminded him very sadly of his wife who was far away in Nara, and the cherry blossoms he planted in his own yard a few years ago.

When the crisp bell of the horseshoe watch rang, Ueda also got up and sent out an invitation at the same time, "Miss Meixiang, I wonder if you have time to come to the seventh floor of Zhongyuan Company on the 6th of next month to attend the dance I held? Some of my friends will come from home."

"August 8th?"

Meixiang said with a smile, "It's an auspicious day, but Mr. Ueda should contact Xiao Su's mother to confirm these things."

“Also good”

Ueda was also straightforward, took his leave decisively and let Meixiang take him downstairs, and then sent him into the black car parked at the door and drove away.

Behind the window of the living room on the second floor, Wei Ran, who had already come out of the darkroom, frowned. The two hours of seemingly innocuous chat just now were full of little actions by Ueda collecting information about celebrities, and before Ueda's final farewell. The invitation to the dance party also made him, a historian from later generations, unavoidably suspicious.

Could that dance be a celebration banquet prepared in advance by the devils to occupy Jinmen?
　Today marks the anniversary of the temperature in Hiroshima exceeding [-] degrees Celsius for the first time. It is really an auspicious day.

　　I just hope it won't be just that pitiful one time, it seems too f*cking to search.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)