siege

Chapter 4

The Red Sea has passed by long ago, and the ship is sailing on the Indian Ocean, but the sun still sets late and rises early, occupying most of the night.The night is like paper soaked in oil and turned translucent; it is embraced by the sun, and it is impossible to tell where it is. Maybe it is intoxicated by the sun, so the night after the sunset glow fades is also blush.When Hongxiao woke up drunk, the sleepers in the cabin also woke up tired of sweat, took a shower and rushed to the deck to enjoy the sea breeze, and another day began.This is late July, which is the hottest time of the year.In China, it was even hotter than usual. Afterwards, everyone said it was a sign of war, because this was the 26th year of the Republic of China [[-]].

The French liner Vicomte de Bragelonne is headed for China.At eight o'clock in the morning, the third-class deck was still wet after being washed, but it was already full of people, including French, Jews exiled from Germany, Indians, Annanites, and needless to say, Chinese.The sea breeze was already hot and dry, and the fat man's body was dried by the hot wind, covered with a layer of sweaty salt frost, as if he had just bathed in the Dead Sea in Palestine.After all, it is early in the morning, people's spirits have not been withered by the sun, they are lazy, and they are very active in talking and doing things.The few Frenchmen who were newly assigned to be policemen in Annan or the Chinese Concession were surrounding the young Jewish woman and flirting with them.Bismarck once said that the characteristic of French ministers and ambassadors is that they cannot speak a single foreign language; these few policemen do not understand German, but they actually conveyed their feelings and attracted Jewish women to giggle, much better than their diplomats.The woman's handsome husband was watching with pleasure, because he had been soaked in cigarettes, beer, and lemonade for the past few days.The Red Sea has passed, and there is no fear of being caught by extreme heat, so after a while, besides the scattered peels, pieces of paper, and corks on the deck, cigarette butts must be everywhere again.The French are famous for their clear thinking, and their articles are clear and clean, but their actions are all chaotic, dirty, and noisy, but look at the mess on this ship.Relying on human ingenuity, this boat is full of people's turmoil and hopes, and it is moving lively. Every minute, a small area of ​​water that has been polluted by people's popularity is returned to the ruthless, endless, and boundless sea.

As usual, a group of Chinese international students return to China every summer.There were also about ten people on this boat.Most of them are young people who have not yet found their jobs. They returned to China at the beginning of the summer vacation and can find work calmly.Those students who have nothing to worry about are not willing to leave until the cool autumn.Some of the people on board were studying in France, some were studying in the UK, Germany, Belgium, etc., and they went to Paris to gain experience in nightlife, so they also took the French ship.They met at the end of the world, hit it off right away, and when they talked about the motherland with foreign troubles and internal strife, they all wished to go back to serve it immediately.The boat was going so slowly, and everyone felt like a hometown, and they were worried that they had nowhere to rest. Suddenly, two sets of mahjong tiles appeared out of nowhere.Mahjong is of course a national game, and it is said that it is popular in the United States; playing cards not only has the flavor of the hometown, but also fits the world trend.It's wonderful, the number of people can make up two tables and there is more than enough, so apart from eating and sleeping, they gamble all day long for entertainment.Just after breakfast, the dining room below was already busy playing the first round of cards. On the deck, there were only two Chinese women and a child who was not a human being. Buy a ticket for him.The woman with the sunglasses and the novel on her body was dressed in a very refined manner.Among the orientals, the skin should be considered fair, but unfortunately this whiteness is not fresh, rather dry.She took off her black glasses, her features were pretty, but her lips were too thin, and her lipstick wasn't thick enough.If she had risen from the deck chair she would have looked thin, and perhaps the outlines had been too hard, drawn with a square-tipped pen.The age seems to be 25-[-], but the age of modern-style women is like the age of old-fashioned women's marriage posts, which requires what scholars call external evidence to determine the authenticity, which cannot be seen by itself.The boy's mother was already in her thirties, wearing a half-worn black gauze cheongsam, her face was full of toil and sleepiness, and with her natural upside-down eyebrows, she felt even more miserable and pitiful.The child was less than two years old, with a flat nose, two oblique slits for the eyes, and high eyebrows, which were so far apart from the eyes that they were lovesick. They looked like the faces of Chinese people in newspaper caricatures.He had just learned how to walk, and he kept running around; his mother held a leash around him, and he was pulled back before he could run three or four steps.His mother was afraid of the heat, tired of pulling her hands, and worried about her husband's wins and losses down there, so she couldn't stop scolding the child for being annoying.The child couldn't run anywhere, so he changed his purpose and threw himself on the woman reading a book.The woman usually had a self-admired, out-of-this-world look--the look of a neglected guest at a big banquet or an unmarried girl at a wedding banquet-but now she showed disgust, which black glasses could not hide. .The child's mother felt a little bit apologetic, pulled the belt and said apologetically: "You naughty child, go and make trouble with Miss Su! Come back quickly.—Miss Su, you really work hard! You are so good at learning, and you read books all day long. Mr. Sun often tells me It is said that female students like Miss Su are considered to save face for China. They are beautiful and have a doctorate. Where can we find such a person? Like us, we came to a foreign country once for nothing, and we have never read a single book, and we have been housekeepers all our lives. When I was studying in China, I completely forgot about having a baby—scary! I hate it! I told you not to go, you will stain Miss Su’s clothes if you don’t do good deeds.”

Miss Su has always looked down on this poor Mrs. Sun, and she doesn't like children the most, but after hearing these words, she was happy and said with a kind smile: "Let him come, I like children the most." She took off her sunscreen He closed his glasses and was staring at the book in ecstasy. He carefully held the child's wrist so as not to rub it on his clothes, and asked him, "Where's Dad?" Boo! Boo!" spit, and the goldfish raised in the dining room blew bubbles.Miss Su let go of her hand in a panic, and took out her handkerchief to defend herself.His mother pulled him hard, yelling to slap him on the mouth, and sighed, "His father gambles down there, so what's the point! I don't understand why all men like to gamble. Look at the few of us on the same boat, there is no one who doesn't gamble." It’s dark and dark. It’s fair to win a few money back. Like our Mr. Sun, who lost a lot of money and still wants to gamble, he hates me!”

After hearing the last few petty words, Ms. Su couldn't help but look down on Mrs. Sun again, and said coldly, "Mr. Fang doesn't gamble."

Mrs. Sun turned her nostrils to the sky and said coldly: "Mr. Fang! He also played cards when he got off the boat. Now he is busy pursuing Miss Bao, so of course he can't tell the time. The important thing in his life is much more important than gambling. I will I can't see that Ms. Bao is dark and thick. There is something beautiful about it. Mr. Fang will not be a second-class guest and change to a third-class cabin to suffer. I think the two of them are very good, and maybe they will get engaged when the ship arrives in Hong Kong. This is really a 'fate to meet thousands of miles away'."

When Miss Su heard this, her heart ached. She replied to Mrs. Sun and comforted herself: "That's absolutely impossible! Miss Bao has a fiancé, and she told me about it herself. Her fiancé paid for her study abroad."

Mrs. Sun said: "Is it still so romantic to have a fiancé? We are old antiques, and finally learned something new this time. Ms. Su, let me tell you a joke. Mr. Fang and you are old classmates in China. Does he always speak casually?" Yesterday, Mr. Sun told him that gambling is bad luck, he still laughed. He said that Mr. Sun has been in France for many years, and he didn’t know the superstitions of the French: wife is unfaithful, steals people, husband is a turtle, buys lottery tickets If you win the first prize, you must win the gambling. Therefore, he said that a man should take comfort when he loses in gambling. Mr. Sun told me that I blamed him for not questioning Fang at the time. Ms. Fang’s fiancé will definitely win the first prize in the airline lottery; if she becomes Mrs. Fang, Mr. Fang must be lucky in gambling.” The viciousness of honest and honest people is like gravel in rice or unclean thorns in fish fillets. , will give people an unexpected pain.

Miss Su said: "Miss Bao doesn't behave like a female student, and her dress is embarrassing enough—"

The child suddenly stretched out his hands to the back of their chair, laughing and jumping loudly.The two looked back and saw that it was Miss Bao who was walking here, holding a piece of candy in her hand, teasing the child from a distance.She was only wearing a scarlet tube top, navy blue skin-fitting shorts, and red-painted nails peeking out of her white leather shoes.Perhaps this is the most reasonable attire on a hot day in the tropics, and one or two foreign women on board are dressed in this way.But Ms. Su felt that Ms. Bao was naked, which hurt the Chinese national system.Those male students got angry when they saw it, and they were squabbling, talking and laughing behind Miss Bao's back.Some called her a "charcuterie" because only a charcuterie would display so much warm-colored meat in public; others called her "truth" because it was said that "truth is naked."Ms. Bao was not naked, so they revised it to "partial truth".

Miss Bao came and greeted the two of them, saying, "You guys got up really early. I like to be lazy on the bed in hot weather. I didn't even know Miss Su got up today. She slept like a log." Miss Bao wanted to say, "Sleep!" "Like a pig", then thought about saying "like a dead person", but finally felt that a dead person is not much better than a pig, so I borrowed that metaphor from English.She hastily explained: "This boat is really like a cradle, people just want to sleep in a daze because of it."

"Then, you are the baby sleeping in the cradle. Look, how cute!" Miss Su said.

Miss Bao slapped her and said, "You! Su Dongpo's younger sister, a talented girl!"——"Su Xiaomei" is the nickname given to Miss Su by the male students on the same boat. The word "Dongpo" sounds like "tombeau" in French to Ms. Bao's Nanyang accent.

Miss Su and Miss Bao share the same cabin, and they sleep in the lower berth, which is much more convenient than Miss Bao, as there is no need to climb up and down every day.But in the past few days, she hated Miss Bao, and felt that she hindered her in everything: she snored too loudly, making it difficult for her to sleep well, turning over was too heavy, and the upper bunk seemed to collapse.I gave Ms. Bao a slap, and she said, "Mrs. Sun, you judge me. Call her 'little baby' and get beaten! It's a blessing to be able to sleep. I know you love to sleep, so you never make a sound, lest you Wake you up. You tell me you're afraid of getting fat, but you're so sleepy on the boat, I think you'll put on a few more pounds."

The child clamored for candy, and bit it when he got it. His mother called him Xie Miss Bao, but he ignored him, so Mrs. Sun had to deal with Miss Bao herself.Ms. Su had seen this candy favor for a long time, it was the sugar cube used for breakfast and coffee on the ship.She despised Miss Bao's style of work, and she didn't want to talk to her any more, so she opened the book again, but she caught sight of Miss Bao pulling the two canvas chairs to an empty place far away from her eyes and scolding her for being shameless, while she herself I hate why I went to see her.At that time, Fang Hongjian also came up on the deck, walked in front of them, stopped to greet them, and said, "Hello, little brother."Mrs. Sun responded indifferently.Miss Su smiled and said, "Go quickly, aren't you afraid that people will be anxious about waiting?" Fang Hongjian blushed and smirked, then left Miss Su and walked away.Miss Su knew she couldn't keep him, but when he really went, she was disappointed.She didn't read a single word in the book, but she heard Miss Bao talking and laughing softly, so she couldn't help but read it.Fang Hung-chien was smoking when Miss Bao reached out to him. He took out the cigarette case and gave her one. Miss Bao held it in his mouth. His fingers were on the tinder box as if to light a cigarette for her. Suddenly she greeted her. He went up and put the end of his cigarette on top of the one he was smoking. When the cigarette was lit, Miss Bao exhaled proudly.Miss Su was so angry that her body turned cold, thinking that these two people are really shameless, that a large audience actually borrowed cigarettes to kiss.Couldn't look any more, stood up and said he wanted to go down.In fact, she knew that there was no place to go down below. Someone was playing cards in the dining room, and the cabin was too stuffy.Mrs. Sun also wanted to go down and ask the man how much he lost today, but she was afraid that if the man lost in a hurry, he would vent his anger on herself and would quarrel for a long time when she returned to the cabin; so she didn't dare to get up, and only asked the child if he wanted to go down. pee.

Miss Su called Fang Hongjian shameless, it was really wronged.At that time, he was so embarrassed that it seemed that everyone on the deck was paying attention to him. He blamed Miss Bao for being too showy, and wished he could say a few words about her.Although he is 27 years old and has been engaged earlier, he has no love training.His father was a former Qing Ju, and he was a great gentleman in a small county in the south of the Yangtze River in his hometown.Nine out of ten people in their county who lived in the metropolis worked in three industries: blacksmithing, grinding tofu, and carrying sedan chairs.Clay dolls are the most famous works of art among local products; most young people study civil engineering when they go to university.The iron is hard, the tofu is bland, and the sedan chair has a small capacity and a rustic atmosphere. This is their folk custom.Even those who get rich and become officials owe generously.In this county, a man surnamed Zhou made his fortune by opening an iron shop in Shanghai, and organized a small bank with his fellow villagers called "Dianjin Bank", and he himself was appointed as the manager.He remembered the idiom of returning home with a cloth, and one year he went back to the county on the Ching Ming Festival to visit the temple and visit the tomb and get to know the local people.Fang Hongjian's father was a man of the town, and Manager Zhou rarely visited him, so he became friends, from friends to in-laws.Hung-chien was still studying in high school, and got engaged at the discretion of the family.The fiancée never met, only looked up at a half-length photo, and was indifferent.Two years later, I went to Peking to enter university and experienced the taste of male and female students for the first time.Watching people talk about love in pairs, I'm really jealous.Thinking of my fiancée who had studied in high school for a year, would not go to school, practice housework at home, and be a capable daughter-in-law when she married, she couldn't help hating her.Resenting fate and father in this way, he stayed in a daze for a few days, then suddenly came to his senses, and boldly wrote a letter to his family requesting termination of the contract.His Chinese language was once taught by Lao Tzu, and he passed the second place in the middle school examination, so this letter is very formal, and it is not wrong to use the words.What is said in the letter: "Recently, I feel sentimental, joyful and sorrowful, and I have a sense of autumn in my arms. Every time I look at myself in the mirror, my spirit is cold and my face is cut. I am afraid that if I don't read it, Ms. Zhou may be delayed. For life. I hope that my lord will lower your body and be kind to relieve the bell, so that you can’t bear it and become hatred forever." He thought that the letter was written in a sad and eloquent way, which could touch a heart of stone.Who knew that my father would send a letter to scold me: "I don't hesitate to spend a lot of money, and I ordered you to spend thousands of miles away. You have no time to study, and you have time to look in the mirror? You are not a woman, why do you need a mirror? Only the children of Liyuan, who are born Looking at the reflection in the mirror for the sake of a husband is despised by the world. I don’t think that Ru Fu has been infected with bad habits, which is deplorable and hateful! Besides, your parents are here, and you don’t talk about old age. Sad and unfilial, this is the extreme! When you are a male and female student in your school, you see the color and change your mind, and see the difference; Stop sending money, order you to suspend school and go home, and marry your younger brother at the same time next year. Think carefully about my words, and be careful!" Fang Hongjian was frightened and dwarfed, never expecting the old man to be so shrewd.I hurriedly wrote back to ask for forgiveness and explained, saying: the mirror belonged to a classmate in the same room, and he did not buy it; these days, he took American cod liver oil pills and German vitamin tablets, his body and spirit improved, and his face became plump, but the medicine was too expensive, so he couldn’t bear the money ;As for the wedding, it must be held after graduation. Firstly, it will hinder his studies, and secondly, he will not be able to support his family, which will burden his father and make him feel uneasy.When his father received this letter, it proved that his majesty was far away thousands of miles away, and he was very proud, so he sent a sum of money to his son to buy tonics.Since then, Fang Hung-chien gave up his mind and dared not think about it. He began to study Schopenhauer, and he often said to his classmates wisely: "How can there be love in the world? It is basically a reproductive impulse." In the blink of an eye, it was the fourth year of university, and he only waited for graduation and marriage next year.One day, my father sent an express letter, which said: "I received a telegram from your father-in-law, and I was shocked to learn that Shuying was ill with typhoid fever, which was misunderstood by Western medicine, so she passed away at 2:[-] p.m. on the [-]th of this month. It is a pity. The marriage is about to happen, and things are going to be difficult." It’s all due to your lack of blessing.” After the letter, he added a few sentences: “If you lose your horse, you know it’s not a blessing, so if you get married three years ago, my family will spend a lot of money this time. If it ends early, your daughter-in-law may escape disaster and prolong her life. Marriage is predestined, so don't be too sad. But you should send a letter of condolence to your father-in-law." Hung-chien saw the happiness of a prisoner who was pardoned, but for the short-lived girl , also a little pity.Since I enjoy the joy of freedom, I would like others to reduce the sorrow, so I sent a long letter of condolence to the unmarried father-in-law.When Manager Zhou received the letter, he felt that the child was polite, so he assigned Director Wang of the clerical department of the bank to reply.When the director of the clerical department saw Yuanxin, he complimented his boss on the fact that this untrained young man was good at arts, calligraphy, and had a deep affection for the deceased.Manager Zhou was happy to hear that, and asked the director to write back, saying: Although the daughter has never been married, Weng’s son-in-law’s name will not be changed. He only has one daughter in his life. The interest earned from doing business is [-] yuan in total, equivalent to [-] pounds in foreign exchange, which will be used as tuition fees for Fang Hongjian to graduate next year.Fang Hongjian never dreamed of such good luck, and he was very grateful to his dead fiancée.He is a useless person, unable to study civil engineering. In college, he transferred from the Department of Sociology to the Department of Philosophy, and finally transferred to the Department of Chinese Literature to graduate.People who study Chinese go abroad for "advanced studies", which sounds a little funny.In fact, only those who study Chinese literature must study abroad.Because all other subjects such as mathematics, physics, philosophy, psychology, economics, law, etc. are instilled from foreign countries, and they have long been foreign-style; only Chinese is a local product, and they need foreign signs to maintain their status, just like Chinese officials. [-]. The money exploited by businessmen in their own country must be exchanged for foreign exchange in order to maintain the original value of the national currency.

When Fang Hongjian arrived in Europe, he neither copied the Dunhuang scrolls nor visited the "Yongle Dadian", nor searched for Taiping Heavenly Kingdom documents, nor did he study Mongolian, Tibetan or Sanskrit.In four years, I changed three universities, London, Paris, and Berlin; I listened to a few homework casually, had a lot of interests, had no experience, and lived a particularly lazy life.In the spring of the fourth year, he saw that there was only more than 400 pounds left in the bank, so he planned to return to China in the summer.Mr. Fang also wrote to ask him if he had obtained his Ph. D. and when he would return home.He wrote back and made a lot of comments, scolding the title of doctor as unrealistic.Old Mr. Fang didn't take it seriously, but his son was old enough to dare not threaten his father's dignity any more; he wrote in his letter that he knew that titles were useless and would never force his son, but Manager Zhou paid a lot of money, and finally got a job. There is an explanation for him.A few days later, Fang Hongjian received another letter from his father-in-law, saying: "A good son-in-law is highly educated and rich, and he is famous all over the world. There is no need to boast of a doctorate. However, your lord is a filial and honest man. It seems appropriate for a good son-in-law to go abroad." Scholars, a few grams of Shao Jiqiu, come from behind, stupid and honorable." Fang Hongjian was attacked by two sides, and only then did he realize the importance of a diploma for studying abroad.This diploma seems to have the function of the leaf on the lower body of Adam and Eve, which can cover up the embarrassment; a small square of paper can cover up a person's emptiness, ignorance, and stupidity.I don't have a diploma, it seems that I am mentally naked and have no packages.But if you want to get a degree now, no matter whether you do it yourself or hire a gunman to do the thesis for you, the time and economy are not enough.The PhD degree at the nearby University of Hamburg is the easiest to get, but it takes six months.Just lie to the family that he is a doctor, I'm afraid I can't fool my father and my father-in-law; my father is a candidate in the imperial examination, so I need to read the "newspaper", and my father-in-law is a businessman, so I need to look at the contract.He couldn't think of a way, and he was going to go home and say that he didn't get his degree.One day, he went to visit a German friend in the Chinese Book Cataloging Room of the Berlin Library, and saw on the floor a large pile of periodicals published in Shanghai in the early years of the Republic of China, such as "Oriental Magazine", "Novel Monthly", "Great China", "Women Magazine has it all.Flipping through an advertisement in both Chinese and English, it was posted by the "Clayton Law and Business School Correspondence Department" in New York, USA. It said that the school set up a special correspondence class for Chinese students who aspire to study abroad but have no chance. For bachelor's, master's or doctoral certificates, the charter letter is sent immediately, and the correspondence office is the number of the street in New York.Fang Hung-chien's heart moved, and he thought that after more than 20 years, he didn't know if this school existed. Anyway, he wrote a letter and asked, and it didn't cost much.The person who posted the advertisement was originally a liar, because the Chinese people would have died long ago if they hadn't come to be fooled, changed their careers and quit.The flat he lived in was rented to an Irishman, Irish irresponsible, Irish quick-witted, and Irish poor.According to legend, the real estate of the Irish (Irish fortune) is breasts and buttocks; this is a tall and thin man like Bernard Shaw, and the weight of those two properties has to be discounted.At that time, he got a letter from Hung-chien in the mailbox, thinking that the postman had sent it by mistake, but the address was clearly his own, so he opened it out of curiosity, and thought about it for a long time, and jumped up happily.I hurriedly borrowed a typewriter from the tabloid reporter in the next room, and typed a reply letter, saying that since my husband was studying at a European university, he must have a high degree, and there was no need to go through correspondence procedures, and he only needed to send a 30-word paper with a fee of US$[-] for review. If you pass the test, you will send the doctor of philosophy diploma immediately, and you can send the letter to yourself, and you don't need to write the name of the school.Signed Patrick Mahoney, and later presented four or five doctorate titles.Fang Hongjian saw that the letter paper was for ordinary use, and the school name was not engraved on it. The content of the letter was clearly a hoax, so he ignored it.The Irishman waited impatiently, and wrote another letter, saying that if the price is too expensive, they can discuss it later. I have always loved China, and those who run education are especially unwilling to make profits.Fang Hongjian thought about it, thinking that the Irish were undoubtedly playing tricks. If he bought a fake diploma and went back to deceive others, wouldn't he also be a liar?But—remember, Fang Hongjian had studied in the philosophy department—it is not immoral to lie and cheat sometimes.Plato's "Utopia" said that soldiers should deceive enemies, doctors should deceive patients, and officials should deceive the people.Saints like Confucius pretended to be ill to coax away Confucianism, and Mencius even lied to King Qixuan to pretend to be ill.The father and the father-in-law wished they were Ph. Ds. Would the son and son-in-law dare to disappoint them?Buying a diploma to coax them is like donating money to an official in the Qing Dynasty, or a British colonial businessman paying tens of thousands of pounds to the imperial treasury in exchange for a knight title.Anyway, when I look for a job in the future, this degree will never be listed on my resume.Simply keep the price extremely low. If the Irish refuse, the matter will be blown up, and I will not be a liar.Then he wrote back and said: at most one hundred dollars, send thirty first, and then send the rest after the diploma is in hand; there are more than thirty Chinese students here, and they are all willing to contact your school in this way.The Irishman didn't want to agree at first, but after seeing Fang Hongjian's firm tone, and finding out that American doctorate titles are indeed fashionable in China, he gradually believed that there were more than [-] Chinese fools in Europe, and wanted to buy a diploma from him.He also has many peers who come out to do this kind of business, such as Eastern University, East American University, Intercollegiate University, Truth University, etc. The cheap ones can buy a master's degree for ten dollars, Shenxuan University (College of Divine Metaphysics) offered three kinds of doctoral diplomas together at a low price; these are all schools that have been registered and registered, and I am absolutely incomparable.Therefore, with the aim of making a small profit and selling well, he made a deal with Hung-chien.He received thirty U.S. dollars, printed forty or fifty blank diplomas, filled out one, and sent it to Hung-chien with a letter urging him to pay and notify other students to contact him.Hung-chien replied that after a detailed investigation, there was no such school in the United States, and the diploma was worthless. If it was a first-time offender, he would not be held accountable. He hoped to repent and rehabilitate, and remit ten dollars to cover the cost of changing his career.Ireland was so angry that he cursed non-stop, got drunk, and wanted to fight with the Chinese with red eyes.This matter may be China's only victory since it has diplomacy or entered into a business agreement.

Hung-chien first went to the photo studio, put on the uniform of a German university doctor, and took a four-inch photo.My father and my father-in-law each sent a letter, saying that I hated the title of "doctor" the most in my life, and this time I couldn't escape the vulgarity, which is not enough for outsiders.I went back to France for a few weeks and bought a second-class ticket to return home.After Marseille boarded the ship, he found that he was the only Chinese in the second-class cabin. He was very lonely and boring. The third-class Chinese students felt that he was also a student and sat in the second-class class, and they were a little hostile to him.He found out that there was an empty berth in the third-class cabin for Annan, so he discussed with the steward on board, and voluntarily gave up his original cabin and moved down to sleep, while eating in the second-class cabin.Among the Chinese on the same boat, only Ms. Su is an old Chinese acquaintance. She studied French literature in Lyon and wrote a thesis on "Eighteen Chinese Poets in Vernacular". She was newly awarded a doctorate.When she was a college classmate, Fang Hongjian might not have been in her eyes.At that time, Ms. Su regarded her love as too precious and refused to give it casually.Now, it's like making good clothes, but I don't want to wear them, and lock them in the box. After a year or two, I suddenly find that the shape and color of the clothes are not fashionable, and I feel a little regretful.In the past, she wanted to study abroad wholeheartedly, and felt that those who pursued her had no future, most likely they were college graduates.Now, as a female doctor, she feels a lofty loneliness that no one dares to climb up to.She knew a little about Fang Hung-chien's family background, saw that he didn't dislike him, and seemed to have enough money, so she intended to use this voyage period to give him a chance to get close.Ms. Bao, who was not wary of her cabin class, rushed to go first.Ms. Bao grew up in Macau, and it is said that she has Portuguese blood in her body. The phrase "Portuguese blood" is equivalent to the Japanese saying that they have their own culture, or the author who adapted a foreign script privately declared that his revised version "has copyright and cannot be translated."Because the Portuguese have Chinese elements in their blood.And judging by Miss Bao's figure, her Portuguese mother may have also indirectly passed down Arab blood from Spain.Ms. Bao has a slender waist, which fits the beauty requirements praised by the Arab poets in "Arabian Nights": "The body is thin, the back is heavy, and the waist and limbs are sore when standing." Under the long eyelashes, a pair of sleepy and drunk Big, smiling, dreamy eyes, and a full upper lip that seems to be bulging with a lover.Her fiancé, Dr. Li, didn't know how to cherish it, and paid for her to study obstetrics in London alone.There is a Portuguese proverb that says: "If you are lucky enough to have a child, the first child must be a girl." Because a girl grows up, she can do odd jobs and take care of her younger siblings. Before she gets married, her parents can save the next female servant salary.Ms. Bao has been used to being summoned by her parents since she was a child. She has a sharp mind and understands that opportunities must be found by herself, and happiness must be found by herself.So she would rather get engaged to someone 12 years older than herself and have the opportunity to go abroad.The British are used to fair skin, and when they see her dark but not black color, fat and spicy attractiveness, they think she is an authentic oriental beauty.She was confident that she could seduce people, so she was seduced very quickly and easily.Fortunately, she was a medical student, so she didn't take it seriously, and nothing happened.She spent two years in the UK, and this time she went back to get married and listed with her husband.After boarding the ship, the Chinese students found out that the "Subject of Great Britain" passport issued by the Hong Kong government was not considered a Chinese nationality, so they seldom approached her.She couldn't speak French, and she didn't bother to chat with the third-class Cantonese waiter, she felt very bored.She saw Fang Hongjian as a second-class person, a passable person, and he could be regarded as a companion for recreation during travel.Miss Su's ideal self is: "as beautiful as peaches and plums, as cold as ice", which makes Fang Hongjian humblely admire and then succumbs to courtship.Who knows that although the climate is about [-] degrees Fahrenheit every day, this kind of sweet and cold ice cream style will not work at all.Miss Bao hooked Fang Hongjian with just one easy word.The next day when Hung-chien moved to the third class, he went for a walk on the deck, and accidentally ran into Miss Bao, leaning against the railing of the ship, blowing the wind, so he greeted her and began to chat.After a few words, Ms. Bao laughed and said, "Mr. Fang, you remind me of my fiancé. You look so much like him!" Fang Hongjian was shy and proud at the same time.When a lovely woman says you look like her fiancé, it means that you are entitled to her love if she is not engaged.The mean man might explain that she already has another fiancé, and you can enjoy the rights of her fiancé without the obligation to marry her.In any case, from then on their friendship grew like a tropical plant.The other Chinese male students joked with Fang Hongjian and forced him to treat everyone to iced coffee and beer.

At that time Fang Hung-chien felt excited even though he blamed Miss Bao for her disorderly behavior.Looking back, I saw Miss Su and Mrs. Sun's two empty chairs. Fortunately, the incident of smoking just now did not fall into their eyes.That night, there was a sea breeze and the boat was a little bumpy.After ten o'clock, there were only three or five couples on the deck, all hiding in the shadows that the lights couldn't reach, talking about love.Fang Hongjian and Miss Bao walked side by side without speaking.A big wave shook the boat violently, and Miss Bao couldn't stand still. Fang Hung-chien wrapped his arms around her waist, stayed close to the railing, and kissed her greedily.Miss Bao's lips hinted, and her body obeyed. This hasty, rough kiss gradually stabilized, and the length was perfect and perfect.Miss Bao deftly pushed away Fang Hongjian's arm, took a deep breath, and said, "I'm suffocating to death! I'm suffering from a cold, and I can't breathe through my nose—it's too cheap for you, you haven't begged for my love yet." you!"

"I'll make it up to you now, okay?" Like all men who have never been in love, Fang Hongjian regards the word "love" as too noble and serious, and refuses to apply it to women casually; he only thinks he wants Miss Bao. , I don't love her, so I falter in this way.

"Anyway, I have nothing good to say, so I can't escape those old-fashioned words."

"Put your mouth together, and I'll tell you, the words will penetrate into your heart, saving you from having to go a long way, turning a corner and going in through your ears."

"I'm not going to be fooled by you! Say it politely. Today is enough, if you don't mess around with me, tomorrow..." Fang Hongjian ignored it.He hooked her waist again.The ship suddenly sideways, he didn't hold on to the railing, and almost caused Miss Bao to fall.At the same time, the other women in the shadow also screamed: "Ah!" Miss Bao took advantage of the situation to escape and said, "I feel cold, so I'll go down first. See you tomorrow." Leaving Fang Xiang on the deck.Dark clouds rose in the sky early, a few stars leaked out, the wind and waves sounded like gluttons devouring, and the vast ocean during the day was completely digested in the wider night at this time.Against this background, the agitation of a person's body and mind is also reduced to nothing, only the hope of tomorrow in his heart has not yet fallen into ambiguity, and in the depths of the vast and surging darkness, a little firefly shines on itself.

From that day on, Fang Hongjian often ate at the third class.Miss Su's attitude towards him was remarkably indifferent.He asked Ms. Bao privately why Ms. Su had been so indifferent to her recently.Miss Bao laughed at him as a fool, and said: "I can guess why, but I won't tell you, so as not to make you proud." Fang Hung-chien said that she was nervous, but after meeting Miss Su, she felt more and more embarrassed.The ship passed Ceylon and Singapore, and arrived in Saigon in a few days. This was the first colony of the country that the French ship could boast along the way.The Frenchman on the boat saw his home like a dog, his imposing manner grew, and his actions and voice became higher-pitched.The boat docked in the afternoon and had to moor for two nights.Ms. Su has relatives who work at the Chinese Consulate here, and they sent a car to the pier to pick her up for dinner. Under everyone's envious eyes, she disembarked first.The rest of the students decided to have dinner at a Chinese restaurant.Fang Hongjian wanted to go to dinner with Miss Bao, but he was too embarrassed to say it in front of everyone, so he had to let them go.After dinner, the Sun couple took the children back to the boat first.The rest sat in the coffee shop, and Miss Bao suggested going to the dance hall.Although Fang Hung-chien spent money to learn two dance lessons in France, his skills were not up to par.I danced with Miss Bao once, so I had to sit awkwardly and watch her dance with others.After twelve o'clock, everyone went back to the boat to sleep.Get off at the pier, Fang Hongjian and Miss Bao lag behind.Miss Bao said: "Miss Su is not coming back today."

"The Annan man in my cabin has also gone ashore. I heard that his berth has been sold to a Chinese businessman who is going from Saigon to Hong Kong."

"We both sleep alone today," Miss Bao said casually.

Fang Hongjian's mind flashed like a flash of lightning, and suddenly it shone through, but his eyes were so wide that he didn't dare to look directly at him, the blood all over his body rose to his face.Just as he was about to speak, the companion walking in front turned around and shouted: "Why can't you stop talking! You walked slowly, afraid that we might hear you, didn't you?" Good night" and dispersed.Fang Hung-chien took a shower, returned to the cabin, lay down and sat up again, dispelling the thoughts he had already had, as if he were as uncomfortable as a woman who is pregnant and about to have an abortion.Maybe Miss Bao's words were meaningless, and she went to make fun of herself; the deck was loading, and there were two patrolling waiters in the corridor to prevent idlers from mixing in, so it was impossible for them to see them.I can't make up my mind, and I don't want to give up.Suddenly, I heard brisk footsteps, as if they were coming from Miss Bao's cabin.Hung-chien's heart beat up, and he restrained his footsteps, as if he was stepping on his heart step by step. The footsteps stopped halfway, and his heart was restrained by it, not daring to move. The footsteps continued to speed up and approached.Hung-chien no longer had any doubts, couldn't control his heart anymore, and screamed with joy, jumped out of the bunk, opened the door curtain without putting on his slippers, and first smelled the scent of Miss Bao's usual talcum powder.

Fang Hongjian woke up tomorrow morning, the sun was filling the window, and it was past nine o'clock on the clock.He thought that the night's sleep was so sweet, so fulfilling that he didn't even have a dream. No wonder the sleep was called "Darkland". He also thought that Miss Bao's skin was dark and her smile was sweet. When we met, he would call her "Dark Sweet". It also reminds me of dark and sweet chocolate candies, but unfortunately the chocolate candies produced in France are not good, and the weather is hot, so I shouldn't eat this thing, otherwise I'll buy a box for her.Lazy on the bed daydreaming, Miss Bao hit the bulkhead outside, called him a "slacker", and told him to get up and go ashore together to play.After Fang Hung-chien finished washing, he waited outside Miss Bao's cabin for a long time before she got dressed.The dining room was opened early, and two breakfasts were ordered at an extra cost.The waiter serving their table was A Liu who was in charge of Fang Hongjian's cabin.The two of them wanted to leave after eating. A Liu didn't clear up the things on the table first. He looked at the two of them with a smile, stretched out his hand, held three women's hairpins in his palm, and said in Cantonese sloppyly: "Mr. Fang, this is my I picked it up when I made your bed just now."

Miss Bao blushed, and her big eyes seemed to burst out of their sockets.Fang Hongjian was so anxious that he cursed himself for being stupid, and when he got up, he didn't check himself. At the same time, he took out three hundred francs and said to Ah Liu, "Take it! Give it back to me." Ah Liu thanked him, and said that he was the most reliable person. Never talk nonsense.Miss Bao looked away, but she didn't know.After leaving the dining room, Fang Hongjian returned the hairpin to Miss Bao with an apology in his arms. Miss Bao threw it on the ground angrily and said, "Who wants this thing! It passed through that guy's dirty hands!"

It ruined their luck for the whole day, and everything was awkward.Taking a rickshaw to the wrong place, buying something and paying the wrong money, both of them are out of luck.Fang Hung-chien also thought of last night's lunch at the Chinese restaurant, where Miss Bao had to eat Western dishes, saying that he did not want to meet acquaintances on the same boat.Then I found a western restaurant with a decent appearance.Who knows that from cold cuts to coffee, there is nothing delicious: the soup is cold, but the ice cream is hot; the fish is like the marines, which has been ashore for several days; the meat is like a submarine soldier, who will lie in the water for a long time ; In addition to vinegar, bread, butter, red wine are all sour.The two lost their appetites after eating, and their conversation was not speculative.Fang Hung-chien wanted to please Miss Bo Bao, so he told her the affectionate names of "Black Sweet" and "Miss Chocolate".Miss Bao asked, "Am I just that dark?" Fang Hongjian argued stubbornly, "I just love your color. I was in Spain this year and saw a famous beauty dancing. Her skin was only the color of foreign smoked ham. Lighten up."

Ms. Bao's answer was illogical: "Maybe you like the whiteness of Miss Su's dead fish maw. You are a chimney sweeper, and you don't look in the mirror!" She smiled triumphantly.

Fang Hung-chien sprayed Miss Bao black all over, so it's hard to talk about it.The waiter served the chicken, and there was a piece of meat on the plate that looked like an iron rooster on a chapel needle. Miss Bao couldn't cut it, put down the knife and fork, and said, "I don't have teeth to bite this thing! This restaurant is terrible."

Fang Hung-chien continued the cockfight, gritted his teeth and said, "You don't listen to me, you want to eat Western food."

"I want to eat western food, so I didn't ask you to go to this unlucky restaurant! You did something wrong, and you were weird afterwards. You men have such a temper!" When Ms. Bao said, it seemed that every man's character in the world had been tested by her. of.

After a while, for some reason, Miss Bao talked about her fiancé, Dr. Li, and said that he was also a devout Christian.Fang Hung-chien was full of grievances, and when he heard this, he felt evil in his heart, thinking that religious belief would have no effect on Miss Bao's behavior, so he had to use Dr. Li as a satire, and said, "A person who believes in Christianity, how can he be a doctor?"

Miss Bao didn't understand what he said, she opened her eyes and looked at him.

Hung-chien added milk mixed with rice slop to the burnt coffee in front of Miss Bao, and said, "One of the Ten Commandments of Christianity is 'Don't kill'. But besides professional killing, what else do doctors do?"

Miss Bao said angrily without humor: "Nonsense! Doctors save lives."

Hung-chien saw that she was cutely angry, and deliberately teased her, saying, "You can't believe in religion even if you save people's lives. Medicine wants people to live and save people's bodies; religion saves people's souls and people don't have to be afraid of death. Therefore, patients who are afraid of death have to ask for help." Doctor, take medicine; the medicine is ineffective, and you cannot escape death, so you will find a pastor and a priest to die. Studying medicine and believing in religion is equivalent to saying: If I can't teach the patient to live well, at least I can teach him to die well, anyway. He couldn’t be wrong to ask me, it’s like the shopkeeper of the pharmacy opened the coffin shop, it’s too cheap!”

Miss Bao was really angry: "Look at you, you will never get sick all your life, don't ask a doctor. You only rely on a glib mouth, talking nonsense. I also study medicine, why are you hurting people out of thin air?"

Fang Hongjian apologized in a panic, and Miss Bao complained of a headache and wanted to go back to the boat to rest.Hung-chien was careful all the way, but Miss Bao was listless.After sending her back to the cabin, Hung-chien also slept for two hours.As soon as I got up, I went to the wall outside Miss Bao's cabin, called her by name, and asked if she was okay.Unexpectedly, when the door curtain was open, Miss Su came out and said that Miss Bao was ill, had vomited twice, and had just fallen asleep.Hung-chien was ashamed and embarrassed, he said something perfunctory, and hurried away.At dinner, everyone saw that there was no Miss Bao at the table, so they joked to Fang Hongjian about the important person.Hung-chien said vaguely, "She's tired and not feeling well." Miss Su said with a smug face, "She got sick after eating with Mr. Fang, and she can't eat anything at the moment. I'm just worried that she won't be sick." Diarrhea!" Those heartless male students laughed loudly and said in a hurry:
"Who taught her to have dinner with Xiaofang and us?"

"Xiao Fang is so embarrassing! Why don't you choose a clean restaurant when you invite your girlfriend to dinner?"

"You can't go wrong with restaurants. Maybe Miss Bao is too happy to digest. Xiao Fang, right?"

"Xiao Fang, are you not sick? Oh, I see! Miss Bao is beautiful and delicious, you don't need to eat when you are full."

"I'm afraid the meal is not beautiful, it's—" The man was about to say "cooked meat", but suddenly thought of being Miss Su. If he said this indecently, it might be passed on to Miss Bao, so he picked a piece of bread and stuffed it in the Chewing in his own mouth.

Fang Hongjian didn't have enough for lunch, so he couldn't bear everyone's jokes at this time, so he ran away before the food was served, and the others laughed even harder.He stood up and turned around, seeing Ah Liu who was standing behind him, blinking at him knowingly.

Ms. Bao slept for more than a day before getting up. Although she was playing with Fang Hongjian, she was not out of shape like before. Perhaps because she will arrive in Hong Kong soon, she must tidy up her body and mind in preparation for meeting her fiancé.The Sun family and three or four other students were also going to disembark in Kowloon and take the Canton-Han Railway train; before they parted, they gambled desperately, only wishing that the lights in the dining room were not allowed to be turned on after twelve o'clock at night.The afternoon before arriving in Hong Kong, everyone exchanged correspondence addresses after returning to China, and repeated the words of seeing each other again several times, as if this friendship in the same boat would never be forgotten.Hung-chien was about to go up to the deck to look for Miss Bao, when Ah Liu sneakily called "Mr. Fang".Ever since Hung-chien gave him three hundred francs that day, he became flustered when he saw this guy, and asked him what the matter was with a straight face.Ah Liu said that there was no guest in one of the cabins he was in charge of, and asked Hung-chien if he wanted tonight, and he only asked for six hundred francs.Hung-chien waved his hand and said, "Why do I want it?" He hurried up the stairs, only to hear Ah Liu sneer behind his back.He suddenly realized Ah Liu's intentions, and his face became hot with embarrassment.He went up and told Miss Bao about it hesitatingly, and even called Ah Liu a jerk.She snorted and said nothing else.Others are here, so it's inconvenient to talk about it.During dinner, Mr. Sun said: "Today is our farewell commemoration, and we have to have a good night's sleep. Ah Liu has an empty cabin, and I have settled on [-] francs."

Miss Bao cast a contemptuous glance at Hung-chien, then immediately looked at the plate and drank the soup.

Mrs. Sun fed the spoon to the children, and said timidly, "I'm going to disembark tomorrow, aren't you afraid of being tired?"

Mr. Sun said: "I will find a hotel tomorrow, and I will sleep in it for a few days and nights without waking up. The machines on the ship are very noisy, and I can't sleep well."

Fang Hung-chien gave Miss Bao a look that made his self-esteem look like a deflated rubber tire.After dinner, Ms. Bao and Ms. Su were very affectionate, holding hands and never leaving each other.He had no ambition, so he followed the deck, watched them talking and laughing, and did not allow himself to interject, and could not squeeze in even if he squashed the words; With a small amount of money in hand, I want to stop but I am not reconciled.Ms. Bao looked at her watch and said, "I'm going to sleep. The boat will dock before dawn tomorrow, so I won't be able to sleep well in the morning. If I don't go to bed early today, when I go ashore tomorrow, I will be listless and have no energy. It's so ugly." Miss Su said : "You love beauty like this, I'm afraid that Mr. Li will not love you! You look a little haggard, and it hurts even more!"

Miss Bao said: "Is that what you said from your experience? - Well, I'm going home tomorrow! I'm so excited, I'm afraid I won't be able to sleep well when I go down. Miss Su, let's go down and lie comfortably in the cabin to talk. .”

Nodding to Hung-chien, the two went down.Hung-chien was so angry that the end of the cigarette in his mouth would burn red.He couldn't figure out why Miss Bao suddenly changed her attitude.Is their relationship over?At the University of Berlin, he listened to the famous Japanese professor Ed Spranger's Eros speech, and he understood that love and sexual desire are twins, and that they are different. Sexual desire is not the basis of love, and love is not the root of sexual desire. sublimation.He has also read books such as love guides, and knows the difference between loving with the flesh and loving with the heart.Miss Bao can't talk about heart and soul.She didn't change her mind, because she didn't have a heart; it can only be said that the meat will change over time.Anyway, I didn't suffer a loss, maybe I even took advantage of it, so I have nothing to complain about.Fang Hung-chien comforted himself with such ingenious words and precise calculations, but disappointment, cheated lust, and bruised pride all refused to be subdued, like a tumbler that stood up again after being pressed down, and instead swayed violently.

Tomorrow the east will be white, the speed of the boat will slow down, and the sound of the machine will also change its rhythm.The guests in Fang Hongjian's cabin had packed their things early, but Hung-chien was still lying down, thinking that he and Miss Bao would see him off indefinitely, so in any case, he had to see him off politely and thoughtfully.Ah Liu came in suddenly, begging him for a tip with a sad face.Hung-chien said angrily, "Why do you need money at this time? We still have a few days to go to Shanghai." Ah Liu told in a hoarse voice that those people surnamed Sun were playing cards, and their voices were too loud. If you don't work, your own job is also smashed, and you will have to pack up and disembark later.Hung-chien listened, secretly calling for luck, and dismissed him.At breakfast, those who disembarked today were all downcast.Mrs. Sun's eyes were red and swollen, and the eye sockets seemed to be saturated with tears, like dew on the petals of a summer morning, which would fall off with a light touch of a finger.Seeing that the waiter had changed, Miss Bao asked where Ah Liu had gone, but no one answered her.Fang Hongjian asked Miss Bao: "You have a lot of luggage, should I take you off the ship?"

Ms. Bao said distantly: "Thank you! Don't bother you, Mr. Li will come to pick me up on the boat."

Miss Su said: "You can introduce Mr. Fang to Mr. Li."

Fang Hongjian wished he could crush every bone in Miss Su's skinny body into lime powder.Miss Bao ignored her, drank a glass of milk, got up in a hurry, and said that she hadn't finished packing.Fang Hongjian didn't care about other people's jokes, so he put down his glass and followed.Miss Bao didn't turn her head back, Fang Hongjian called her, she said impatiently: "I'm busy, I don't have time to talk to you."

Fang Hongjian didn't know how to lose his temper when Ah Liu appeared like a ghost and asked Miss Bao for the money.Miss Bao's eyes sparkled and she said: "The reward for serving the meal was given yesterday. What reward do you want? You are not in charge of my cabin."

Ah Liu didn't speak, and took out a hairpin from his pocket for a long time, which was thrown away by Miss Bao that day. He wiped the floor and picked up only one of the three.Hung-chien wanted to scold Ah Liu, but he couldn't help laughing when he saw him take out such a magic weapon in a serious manner.Miss Bao said bitterly: "Are you happy? You are happy, you give him money, I don't have half a penny!" She turned and left.

Hung-chien was not reconciled to Fang Ah Liu, and seeing Dr. Li talking nonsense, he thought he was unlucky, and gave him some money.Going up to the deck alone, I watched the ship approaching the Kowloon wharf dully.The Chinese and foreign passengers who disembarked also came, but Hung-chien hid far away, unwilling to see Miss Bao.On the pier, the police, porters, and hotel receptionists yelled, and a group of people waved towels and gestured to the boat.Hung-chien thought Dr. Li must be in there, so he had to look carefully.With great difficulty, the escalator docked, the entry procedures were completed, and the passengers rushed aboard.Miss Bao threw herself into the arms of a half-bald, fat black man wearing big glasses.This is the fiancé she said resembles her!Are you like him?Scary, what an insult!Now I fully understand that what she said was a temptation at all.She has always been smug, thinking that she is a little fancy about herself, but who knows that she is playing tricks on her, and even makes her laugh secretly.Get rid of that old white-bearded, musty old saying: "Women are the worst!" What else is there to say!Hung-chien was leaning on the railing in a daze, but Miss Su said softly behind him: "Mr. Fang is not getting off the boat, thinking about his thoughts? They have left Mr. Fang and gone! There is no one to accompany him."

Hung-chien turned around and saw that Miss Su was dressed so gracefully, he didn't know what made him say, "If I want to accompany you, I'm afraid I'm not lucky, I'm not qualified!"

He said this presumptuously, ready to touch a soft nail.Miss Su's cheeks suddenly turned red under the light rouge, like oil stains on paper, spreading all over her face in an instant, making her shy and charming.She couldn't lift her eyelids and said, "We don't have that much face!"

Hung-chien spread his hands and said, "I used to say that people don't want to show respect!"

Miss Su said: "I'm going to find a barber shop to wash my hair, will you accompany me?"

Hung-chien said: "It's wonderful! I'm about to get a haircut. After we finish the haircut, we will take a ferry to Hong Kong and go up the mountain to have a look. When we get down the mountain, I'll treat you to dinner, drink tea in Repulse Bay after dinner, and watch a movie in the evening, okay? "

Ms. Su smiled and said, "Mr. Fang, you are so thoughtful! Everything for the day has been planned." She didn't know that Fang Hongjian only passed Hong Kong once when he went abroad, and now he couldn't remember the direction.

Twenty minutes later, Ah Liu took his clothes and bags in the dining room and waited for the French steward to check them before going ashore. At the cabin opening, he caught a glimpse of Fang Hongjian walking down the escalator behind Miss Su with his hand around her waist. He couldn't help being surprised and admired. He looked down on him again, unable to express such complicated emotions, so he shot a mouthful of thick saliva into the spittoon with a "spit".

(End of this chapter)