Shanghai Embroidery Lady

Chapter 107
The entrance of Shen Ji Hua Clothing Store was deserted, Xiao Wu in the store leaned against the door and looked out idly, Xiao Yue swept the floor with a broom, and began to dust again after sweeping.

Seeing Ye Zijin get off the rickshaw, Xiao Wu hurriedly stepped forward to help her get off.Ye Zijin glanced at the deserted shop and asked, "How is the business these days when I'm not here?"

Xiao Wu's face was troubled, and he coped with it: "It's okay, just like that..."

Ye Zijin noticed that there was something strange in his expression, and when she walked into the store and saw Xiaoyue was cleaning, she felt even more strange, because they usually started to do trivial things like cleaning after the store closed, and there was no one who would sweep dust outside as soon as the store opened for business .

So Ye Zijin went straight to the counter, picked up the account book and looked through it, the more she looked down, the more dignified her expression became.

"How long has it been like this?" Ye Zijin asked.

Xiaoyue lowered her head and said: "It's been almost half a month, I don't know why those old customers don't come to us to make clothes."

Ye Zijin was even more puzzled, and asked Xiao Wudao: "What didn't we do well? Did the customer say anything when you delivered the goods?"

Xiao Wu avoided Ye Zijin's gaze, and faltered, "No... I didn't say anything."

"You'd better tell the truth. I know the reason and I can find a way to deal with it. Otherwise, if the store continues to lose money like this, Shen Ji will not be able to open it." Ye Zijin raised her voice, she was really anxious, these days Caring about the affairs of Jin'antang, he never thought that Shen Ji had reached such a point.

Xiao Wu just wanted to speak, but Xiaoyue pulled his sleeve quietly. Xiaowu glanced at Xiaoyue, paused, and said: "I think there should be more clothing stores opened recently, and many customers They were pulled over, and you also know that many people like fashionable things, and the business of shops selling western clothes is very good.”

Ye Zijin recalled carefully, it seems that several high-end tailors for western clothes opened on Nanjing Road recently, but she did not expect that it would have such a big impact on Shen Ji's business, but fortunately everything was normal at the factory, the first batch of The goods are about to run out.Right now, we must find a way to save the business of Shen Jihua Clothing Store, otherwise the factory will be opened, but Master Shen's hard work will be ruined.

Ye Zijin thought for a moment and said to Xiaoyue: "Call Zhimei for me, and tell her that I will invite her to have afternoon tea at the Flower Hall Cafe on Xiafei Road at [-]:[-] pm tomorrow. Also, help me book two people at Dexing Restaurant I will go there at noon today."

Xiaoyue nodded, and said with a shy smile, "Let's go to have dinner with Boss Meng." Xiaoyue has always felt that Meng Haoxiang's ability is extraordinary. hoped.

Ye Zijin didn't deny it, but just flipped through a few pages of the account book nervously.

At noon, Ye Zijin arrived half an hour late on purpose, and when she arrived at Dexing Restaurant, Meng Haoxiang was drinking tea alone at the window seat.

Ye Zijin walked into the room and said apologetically, "I'm sorry, because there were too many work delays in the shop a few days ago, I accidentally forgot the time when I was busy."

Meng Haoxiang picked up the teapot and poured her a cup of tea, "It's okay, I know you value Shen Ji very much, but don't be too tired, let's order." After saying that, he called the waiter in the store.

Ye Zijin ordered a few dishes at random, a plate of lion head with crab noodles, a bowl of Wensi tofu, and a plate of sautéed artemisia.After the dishes were served, Ye Zijin felt a little uneasy, as if she had done something to offend Meng Haoxiang.She deliberately came half an hour late because she had an agreement with Feng Qixia, and Feng Qixia must have met Meng Haoxiang before she came.Ye Zijin inadvertently observed Meng Haoxiang's expression, and saw that his expression was normal, and he didn't seem to be affected at all, she then thought about whether she was worrying too much, and this should not be considered sorry for him.
"Why don't you eat it? The dishes you ordered should suit your taste. Do you still want to order a pot of Huadiao as before?" Meng Haoxiang smiled and filled Ye Zijin with a bowl of soup.

Ye Zijin couldn't help but think of the scene a few years ago, when she happened to be at Dexing Restaurant that day, she ordered a pot of flower carvings because of Zhao Jinnian's marriage, and she got drunk, and it was Meng Haoxiang who sent her home.

Ye Zijin lowered his head and blushed, and said: "Don't mention that matter, I don't want to get drunk again, I still remember the lesson from the headache."

Meng Haoxiang looked at Ye Zijin, remembering how she had braids and blushing cheeks at that time, and felt very nostalgic. At that time, she was a little afraid and alienated from him, but at least she was still real to him.

"Now I really want you to get drunk again, otherwise you would never want to confide in me. Zijin, in fact, you don't have to be so outspoken between me. If you have anything to do, you can tell me directly. Now I am your closest friend." People." Meng Haoxiang said calmly, putting down his chopsticks.

Ye Zijin picked up the vegetables quietly, paused for a moment, and said with a smile: "I didn't meet with you, otherwise I wouldn't have asked you out to eat, and you have to pay for this meal."

Looking at her bright eyes, Meng Haoxiang felt a bit of bitterness in his heart. She still didn't trust him enough, or she was worried about something.After going through many things between him and her, although Ye Zijin had developed a good impression of him and they are now together, Meng Haoxiang always felt that he couldn't get into her heart.Her heart was still tightly wrapped by a hard and perfect shell, which made it impossible for people to see through. They only felt that she was getting closer and closer to him.In the distance, it is like the sun in the sky, warm and full of hope, and in recent times, it is like the bright moon in the water, hazy and cold.

Meng Haoxiang just smiled, and put a piece of lion's head with crab powder into her bowl.The two of them went downstairs after dinner, and at this moment two men in long gowns and top hats came up from below.Due to the narrow stairs, one of the fatter men accidentally bumped into Ye Zijin when he passed by her. The man apologized repeatedly, but Ye Zijin didn't take it seriously.

After leaving Dexing Restaurant, Meng Haoxiang only asked the driver Deng Fuxian to take Ye Zijin back to Shenji, but he himself said that he had other things to do and he was not on the way, so he called a foreign car and left.Ye Zijin felt a little strange, if he really had something urgent to do, he wouldn't have time to eat this meal with her.Ye Zijin remembered Feng Qixia's words, it is definitely not easy for a man like Meng Haoxiang to make a fortune in Shanghai Bund, and it is normal to have some ulterior secrets.

Secret... Ye Zijin thought of the deal Feng Qixia had mentioned, she suddenly realized something, and hurriedly opened her handbag to check, there was indeed an extra envelope inside.Feng Qixia had told her that today she would tell her the secret she wanted to know on the spot, but she never expected that such an event would be arranged.Ye Zijin put the handbag back away, and waited quietly in the store before reading the letter.

Before opening the envelope, Ye Zijin hesitated.She didn't know whether she should read the contents of the envelope. If Wang Luqiu's death was really related to Meng Haoxiang, how should she face Meng Haoxiang, and how should she face Xinyu...

With a sound of "tearing", Ye Zijin took a deep breath, and finally decided to tear the envelope open.Immediately afterwards, a photo slid out from the envelope, and when Ye Zijin saw the photo, something seemed to collapse in her heart.

The photo shows the scene when Wang Luqiu got off the car, and the parking place happened to be in front of Meng Haoxiang's villa, and it was Ah Cheng who opened the door for Wang Luqiu...

Could it be that what Feng Qixia said is true?Ye Zijin felt a chill in her heart, she suddenly felt a piece of paper in the envelope, and hurriedly took it out to open it.I saw a line of words written on it, "New love and old love are full of grievances, and jealousy will kill the soul of fragrance".Ye Zijin knew that Wang Luqiu had an unusual relationship with Liang Xiaochuan. Could it be that the so-called new love refers to Liang Xiaochuan, and the old love refers to Meng Haoxiang. Feng Qixia wants to tell her that Meng Haoxiang killed Wang Luqiu because of love and hatred?

Ye Zijin felt a little uneasy throughout the afternoon, his mind was full of that photo.On the one hand, she was consoling herself, what a photo could explain, at most, it meant that Wang Luqiu had been to Meng Haoxiang's house, but she also felt that she was a little weak to excuse Meng Haoxiang.

After all, what can she do to him, which woman he wants to take home is his freedom, and this happened a few years ago, so what's the point even if she asks clearly.She knew that it would be so ridiculous and pathetic if she forced her to ask Meng Haoxiang how many women he had in the past, but Ye Zijin just felt uncomfortable, and she couldn't explain why she was so uncomfortable.It stands to reason that she has never asked about his past, and Meng Haoxiang has not betrayed her now, but his own complaints and blames make Meng Haoxiang seem a little innocent.

Ye Zijin's thoughts were completely confused, sad and sad, conflicted, pain and unwillingness came at the same time.After finally surviving until the shop closed in the evening, she couldn't hold back anymore, took the photo and went straight to Meng Haoxiang's house.

Ye Zijin forced herself to calm down along the way, and she suddenly wanted to understand where the pain in her heart came from. If the relationship between Wang Luqiu and Meng Haoxiang was as Feng Qixia said, if Wang Luqiu was really killed by Meng Haoxiang, then the person she fell in love with What a terrible man!

The rickshaw pulled her to Meng Haoxiang's villa. It happened that Mrs. He was outside tending the flower garden. Seeing Ye Zijin approaching, she hurriedly threw the watering can to open the iron gate.

Mrs. He took her to the living room to sit down, looked at her with a smile, and said: "It looks much better than before, Miss Ye is getting more and more beautiful."

Ye Zijin pursed her lips in embarrassment and smiled, looked around but did not see Meng Haoxiang, and asked, "Has Haoxiang not come back yet?"

Mrs. He said: "I guess it will be after ten o'clock when he comes back. He is busier now than before. Yesterday he told me that he was going to Beiping for a few days and asked me to pack some clothes for him."

"Oh." Ye Zijin responded, thinking that Meng Haoxiang had taken over all the business of the gang and Jin'antang, and it was inevitable that he would be busier.

Mrs. He brought her a cup of sweet-scented osmanthus jujube tea and said, "Miss Ye hasn't had dinner yet, do you want to have some wontons together?"

Ye Zijin originally wanted to finish asking Meng Haoxiang and then go home to cook, but unexpectedly Meng Haoxiang did not come home, it seemed that she had to wait for a few hours, seeing Mrs. He's kindness, she agreed.

A bowl of hot wontons was served on the table. Looking at the goldfish-shaped thin-skinned and stuffed wontons, I was very appetizing. I took a bite, and the soup was fresh and tender, with a scent of shepherd's purse. Meng Haoxiang couldn't catch the wontons eaten on the roadside. It turned out that the wontons made by Mrs. He were better than the little wontons by a few margins.After eating a few wontons, Ye Zijin's cold hands and feet eased a bit as soon as autumn and winter entered, and her heart felt warm.

Mrs. He saw her chewing and eating wontons slowly, and said with a smile: "I saw that Miss Ye is a famous lady, and I like educated and well-educated girls. I can't understand the demeanor of those foreign women. His face is smeared like a monkey's butt, and it's not an opera."

Ye Zijin suddenly remembered that Meng Haoxiang had mentioned to her that Mrs. He took him in back then, so she intentionally asked about Meng Haoxiang's past.

Mrs. He said with a look of relief: "Ah Xiang has been sensible since he was a child, but it's a pity that his mother didn't have this blessing until the day of enjoying the blessing. After his mother died, I couldn't bear to see him wandering on the streets, so I adopted him. I am a widow, and I have no Child, I want to raise a child and have someone to rely on when I get old. Ah Xiang has always been very filial. Although he is in a gang, he has not contracted any bad problems, but sometimes he is a bit domineering. Miss Ye, you don’t have to be serious with him , wait for his anger to pass..."

While Mrs. He was talking, the door suddenly opened. Meng Haoxiang hung up his coat and hat, turned around and saw Ye Zijin was there, his eyes lit up, and he was slightly surprised.

Mrs. He smiled and said, "Did you come back so early today because you knew Miss Ye was here? We were talking about you just now, and you came back. Just in time, you talk to Miss Ye, and I'll go to the kitchen to make it for you." ravioli."

Meng Haoxiang sat next to Ye Zijin, and said, "Did Sister He expose me? Don't believe everything, she doesn't have a good memory."

Sister-in-law He waved her chopsticks as if to knock Meng Haoxiang, "You brat, I really raised you for nothing. If you really have a wife, you will forget me, Sister-in-law He..." After saying that, she shook her head and smiled and went into the kitchen.

After dinner, Mrs. He went back to her room to rest early, only Ye Zijin and Meng Haoxiang were in the living room.

"Do you want to learn to dance?" Meng Haoxiang asked suddenly.

Before Ye Zijin could react, he dragged her upstairs. This was the first time she entered Meng Haoxiang's bedroom.The style of this bedroom is completely different from that of the living room, which is very simple and monotonous.The bedding on the bed is all gray and white, the tables and chairs are all black walnut, only the green velvet sofa by the window and the emerald lampshade lamp on the table add a touch of beauty to the room.On the wall directly facing the bed is a picture of Zheng Banqiao's ink bamboo, and there are several pieces of porcelain on the cabinet next to the table.

Meng Haoxiang had already put the record on the phonograph, and a melodious and low-pitched singing sounded.Ye Zijin didn't have the heart to listen to what was sung in the song at all, her eyes fell on a white-glazed porcelain bottle in the cabinet, that bottle looked familiar, Ye Zijin felt as if she had seen it somewhere before.

The pattern on the porcelain vase is twigs and stalks of lotus, twigs and stalks of lotus... Ye Zijin suddenly remembered seeing the same porcelain vase in Wang Xinyu's home, it was Wang Luqiu's favorite porcelain before his death!Ye Zijin did not expect that the porcelain vases were actually a pair, so it seems that Feng Qixia's words are indeed somewhat believable.

Meng Haoxiang saw Ye Zijin standing still with his back to him, so he walked over and hugged her gently from behind, and said with a smile, "Why, do you not want to learn or do you want me to teach?"

Ye Zijin was expressionless, she just stared at the white glazed porcelain vase and asked coldly, "What was the relationship between you and Ms. Wang Luqiu Wang before?" Ye Zijin felt that the hands that hugged her tightened suddenly.

(End of this chapter)