Shanghai Embroidery Lady

Chapter 53
Zhao Zhimei came to the shop as promised to ask Ye Zijin to accompany her to Wusong Wharf to watch the singing and dancing queen Lucy. Ye Zijin asked Master Shen for instructions. With help, Master Shen allowed Ye Zijin to go out for three hours.Zhao Zhimei happily pulled Ye Zijin out the door.

The car drove to the outside of Wusong Wharf in a short while, Zhao Zhimei asked the driver to wait in the car, and she couldn't wait to get off the car to watch the excitement.

It was the first time that Ye Zijin had seen such a crowd of spectators. There were huge crowds of people on the pier, and some even held Miss Lucy's albums and pictorials.By chance, Ye Zijin had already met this song and dance queen, and she had heard Zizheng mention that Xinyu's sister was named Wang Luqiu.

Zhao Zhimei has always been Lucy's loyal listener, and now she is trying hard to squeeze into the crowd, but the pier is surrounded by people on the third and outer floors, and it is impossible to squeeze in, Zhao Zhimei stamped her feet anxiously.

Ye Zijin originally came here with Zhao Zhimei, besides, she also met Wang Luqiu, so she just followed Zhao Zhimei around outside the crowd.Zhao Zhimei suddenly found a car parked not far away, she couldn't care less about the image of a famous lady, she wanted to climb on the roof of the car to have a look, she called Ye Zijin to help, Ye Zijin helped her up while telling her Be careful.

After Zhao Zhimei climbed up and stood firmly, she smiled and said to Ye Zijin below: "I saw it, I saw it! Lucy is wearing a white gauze dress with lotus leaf sleeves today, and she still has a fan in her hand Fan it, it's really beautiful!"

At this time, a man in a black cloth gown squeezed out from the crowd. The man rolled up his sleeves and shouted at Zhao Zhimei on the roof of the car: "What are you doing? Come down quickly! Don't even look at whose car it is!"

Zhao Zhimei only looked at Lucy, and when she saw someone came to chase her away, she said angrily: "Whoever owns the car, I'll just pay for it!"

The man walked up to the car, pushed Ye Zijin away, and yelled at Zhao Zhimei: "Leave me quickly, you dare to step on Boss Liang's car? The dead girl is impatient!"

When Ye Zijin heard that it was Boss Liang, she tugged on Zhao Zhimei's skirt and said, "Come down quickly, let's go."

Seeing that the man spoke fiercely, Zhao Zhimei glared at him before sliding down from the roof of the car with great reluctance.At this time, there was a commotion in the crowd, many people shouted Lucy's name, Ye Zijin stood on tiptoe and took a look, it turned out that it was Wang Luqiu who got off the boat.

Zhao Zhimei squeezed in with the crowd, and soon separated from Ye Zijin. Ye Zijin was blocked in the crowd, looking around, there was no sign of Zhao Zhimei.

She was a little anxious, and hurriedly called Zhao Zhimei's name, but there were too many people here, densely packed like ants, she couldn't move around freely, her body was pushed forward involuntarily, and it became difficult to breathe.

Just when Ye Zijin was being squeezed to the side, she suddenly caught a glimpse of a man in a top hat and a suit quietly pulling out a gun from his arms!Although the man's hat was pressed down very low, Ye Zijin could roughly see half of the man's face, especially the small red birthmark on his neck.

Ye Zijin was shocked, but now she was squeezed in the crowd and couldn't move, the surrounding voices were buzzing, even if she shouted, no one would pay attention.

Seeing the man pull out his gun and point it forward, Ye Zijin paled in panic, and looked in the direction the gun was aimed at. The man was aiming at Wang Luqiu!

"Be careful!" Ye Zijin hadn't finished speaking, only heard a "bang" gunshot, and the people who were crowding forward to watch the excitement just now ran away in fright, the scene was as chaotic as a pot of porridge, Ye Zijin almost fell down Fortunately, she tried her best to stabilize her feet so that she would not fall to the ground and be trampled on.

Passing through the crowded and panicked crowd, I saw a white figure lying on the ground from a distance. Could it be that Wang Luqiu was shot?There was a "thump" in her heart, Xinyu's sister...

Ye Zijin didn't care too much, and only squeezed in the opposite direction of the crowd's retreat.Someone in the crowd exclaimed, "Killer, murderer!" The atmosphere became tense in an instant, and people ran around like frightened birds. There were women's screams, cries for help, and children's cries...

Ye Zijin managed to squeeze in front of the fallen white figure. Presumably Wang Luqiu is also a popular star, but no one cares about her being shot now. The group of people who surrounded her just now had already fled for their lives.

Ye Zijin squatted down and carefully lifted Wang Luqiu who was dying on the ground, only to see that her chest was red, and the blood stained the snow-white skirt, like red plum blossoms blooming in the snow.

Wang Luqiu's face was pale, when he saw Ye Zijin, he rolled his eyes slowly, and stuffed something into her arms.Ye Zijin looked down and saw that it was a sandalwood fan carried by Wang Luqiu.

Wang Luqiu struggled painfully and approached Ye Zijin, and said in a low voice, "This...take it away...give it to me...the owner of the antique shop at No. 32 Huagebian Road, please help me...take good care of it ...Xin Yu..."

Ye Zijin glanced around vigilantly, seeing that no one was paying attention, she carefully hid the fan in her sleeve.

"Don't worry, I'll help you do it." Ye Zijin shook Wang Luqiu's hand, and she nodded in relief, her hand dropped limply.

At this time, a man shouted "Lu Qiu, Lu Qiu!"

Ye Zijin looked up and saw that it was Liang Xiaochuan.I saw Liang Xiaochuan running over in a hurry. He was wearing shoes on one foot and only socks on the other. The original white socks were already covered with dust.

When Liang Xiaochuan saw Wang Luqiu covered in blood, he broke down in tears. He glanced at Ye Zijin with surprise in his eyes, but he didn't ask any questions.He quickly picked up Wang Luqiu, and eagerly ordered his subordinates to take Wang Luqiu's handbag and other luggage and drive to the hospital.Liang Xiaochuan kept calling Wang Luqiu's name while running, with a sad and anxious expression.Ye Zijin didn't expect Liang Xiaochuan to have true feelings for Wang Luqiu.

At the moment when Liang Xiaochuan hugged Wang Luqiu, Ye Zijin noticed that Wang Luqiu was looking at her. She moved her lips and shook her head slightly, as if to say something, but before Ye Zijin could catch up, Wang Luqiu's last bit of strength was exhausted, and she fell into a coma in Liang Xiaochuan's arms.

What exactly did Wang Luqiu want to say to her?Based on the shape of her mouth, Ye Zijin guessed that she was saying "no".Who was that man in the crowd just now, and why did he assassinate Wang Luqiu?
Just when Ye Zijin was wondering, a voice called her, "Zijin, Zijin, I'm here!"

Ye Zijin turned her head and saw Zhao Zhimei in the crowd was waving to her not far away.

Panting, Zhao Zhimei ran to Ye Zijin with tears in her eyes, and suddenly leaned on Ye Zijin's shoulder and sobbed, "Zijin, they said that Lucy was shot, did she die?"

Ye Zijin shook her head and said, "She was shot, she was sent to the hospital just now, and now her life or death is uncertain..."

"Who is going to kill her? She is so beautiful, and she sings so well..." Zhao Zhimei didn't expect that the first time she saw Lucy might be the last time she saw her.

"You go back first, it's not safe here." Ye Zijin dragged Zhao Zhimei out, at this time people from the police station had arrived, and the pier would be blocked soon.

Ye Zijin didn't go back to the shop directly, but went back to find Wang Xinyu. Although her heart was very heavy, she had to let Xinyu know the news.

Hurrying to the door of Wang Xinyu's house, Ye Zijin hadn't knocked on the door when the door suddenly opened.

"Sister Zijin, what a coincidence, I happen to be going to school, what do you want from me?" Xin Yu was dressed as a schoolgirl, with a few books in her arms.

Ye Zijin took a deep breath, and said seriously, "Xinyu...you have to be prepared, your sister was shot at Wusong Wharf just now..."

With a "click", the books were scattered on the ground, and a half-missing photo fell out of a book.Wang Xinyu stood there dumbfounded, tears streaming from her eyes.

Ye Zijin hurriedly leaned over to help her pick up the book, and saw that half of the photo was Wang Luqiu. In the photo, Wang Luqiu wore no makeup, had two braids, bright eyes, and a clear smile.Ye Zijin inadvertently found the word "Yang Zitian" written neatly and elegantly on the back of the half of the photo. She didn't know what the name was written on the back of the photo, but it was obviously inappropriate to ask such an insignificant matter at this moment.

Wang Xinyu took the photo tremblingly, and said with a sob: "This is a photo I have always cherished... At that time, my sister hadn't entered Paramount... Where is my sister now?"

"Let's go to the patrol room first to find Xiao Xia, and ask him to help find out which hospital your sister was sent to." Ye Zijin wiped away Wang Xinyu's tears, and was also very worried about Wang Luqiu's injury.

Wang Xinyu hurried into the house to put the books, and rushed to the patrol room with Ye Zijin.

In the afternoon, the headlines of the major newspapers published the news that the big star Lucy was shot dead at Wusong Wharf, causing an uproar in the streets and alleys.

Some people said that she was retaliated against for neglecting the Japanese guests at Paramount, while others said that she had offended a gang boss and was killed because she refused to be his concubine.In short, there are all kinds of conjectures. Some reports are beautifully written, and some are regrettably written. However, Lucy's death has become a mystery in Shanghai.

Because there were too many people at the pier at that time, the patrol room could not collect evidence, and it was impossible to find the murderer based on blood and bullets alone.Liang Xiaochuan ordered the Hong Gang to find the murderer even if they searched all over Shanghai, and offered a huge reward to catch the murderer.It was also reported that Liang Xiaochuan lost his shoes while running to save Lucy, and stayed close to Lucy in the hospital until she died.

For two days in a row, Wang Xinyu didn't eat a single rice, and she became haggard all of a sudden.Ye Zijin asked Zizheng to deliver some food every day, but Zizheng brought it back intact every time.

In the evening, Ye Zijin was really worried about the new rain, so she cooked another bowl of porridge and sent it over in person.Besides, there were some things that she hadn't had time to tell Xin Yu that day.

After knocking on the door for a while, there was no movement in the room, Ye Zijin was afraid that something would happen to Xin Yu's sudden sadness, so she knocked again and again.

The door creaked open, Wang Xinyu's eyes were blank, seeing that it was Ye Zijin, his eyeballs moved, and he said weakly: "Sister Zijin...you don't need to bring food...I can't eat it."

Ye Zijin knew that Xinyu didn't like to talk much these two days. Since seeing Wang Luqiu's corpse that day, Wang Xinyu cried heartbreakingly for a while, and suddenly became very quiet.

"May I come in and sit down?" Ye Zijin tentatively asked.

Wang Xinyu was stunned for a few seconds, then turned around and entered the house without closing the door.

Seeing that she didn't refuse, Ye Zijin relaxed the tension in her heart.

This is the second time she has stepped into Xinyu's home. The furnishings in this room are all the same as before, except that there is a photo frame surrounded by white silk on the cabinet where the photos used to be placed. Wang Luqiu in the photo is cold and noble, There is a trace of aloofness between his brows.

Wang Xinyu sat alone on a chair, carefully wiping a white-glazed porcelain vase with tangled branches and lotus patterns with a handkerchief.

"Xinyu, come over and have some porridge first, and then go wash it later." Ye Zijin looked at Xinyu's thin and frail figure with some distress.

Wang Xinyu didn't stop what he was doing, but murmured: "My sister said that when the plum blossoms bloom next year, I will pick some flowers and put them in this bottle. I have to wipe it clean first. This is my sister's favorite porcelain."

Ye Zijin saw many rare treasures in the Dutong Mansion when she was young, and her Ama likes to collect them, so she has been familiar with them since she was a child, and she has a certain appreciation for these things.

When she saw the white-glazed porcelain vase, she immediately recognized that it was white porcelain fired in the royal kiln of the Qing Dynasty, which is quite valuable today.

She remembered what Wang Luqiu said to herself before she died, Wang Luqiu wanted her to hand over the fan to the owner of the antique shop at No. 32 Huagebian Road.Ye Zijin also carefully inspected the sandalwood fan later, but did not find anything unusual about the fan.

So she asked Wang Xinyu, "Xinyu, did your sister like to collect antiques? Did she often go to that antique shop on Huagebian Road?"

Wang Xinyu's eyes widened in surprise, "How do you know? Although my sister doesn't collect antiques, she occasionally visits that antique shop and sometimes buys a piece or two."

Ye Zijin originally wanted to tell Xin Yu about the fan, but when she thought of Wang Luqiu's last mouth shape, she held back and didn't say it.Did Wang Luqiu mean to tell her not to tell others?Ye Zijin was a little hesitant, and made up a reason: "Oh, I just passed by and saw Miss Lucy a few times before. At that time, I didn't know that Lucy was your sister..."

Tears flashed in Wang Xinyu's eyes suddenly, he put the porcelain vase on the table, just stared blankly, and then slowly said after a while: "I thought it was a shame for her to enter Paramount, and I had a cold war with her because of it." For a long time, I never mentioned to others that my sister is Lucy, just because I was afraid that others would look at me differently. I even deliberately avoided her outside and didn’t meet her... But now, my sister is gone , I realized how stupid and selfish I am..."

Wang Xinyu lay on the table and began to sob. Ye Zijin walked up to her, patted her shoulder lightly, and comforted her: "Don't blame yourself too much, your sister won't blame you. In fact, after she was shot, I Right beside her, she still cared about you before she died, and asked me to take good care of you."

Wang Xinyu raised her head with tears in her eyes, suddenly grabbed Ye Zijin's hand, and asked eagerly, "Then did you see who shot at my sister?"

Ye Zijin shook his head, "There were too many people at that time, I only saw a man wearing a top hat pulled out a gun and aimed at your sister, but I couldn't see his face clearly."

Wang Xinyu gritted her teeth and said fiercely: "I must find that person to avenge my sister!"

Ye Zijin sighed inwardly, the situation that day was complicated, and it was not easy to find the murderer.

Wang Xinyu stood up slowly, walked to the gramophone blankly, and put Wang Luqiu's record into it.

The singing voice flows slowly, melodiously, beautifully and lingeringly, quietly telling the past of a generation of famous actors.

Ye Zijin recalled the scene when she first met Wang Luqiu. Under the street lamp, her back was so lonely, and her graceful figure was set off by a purple cheongsam.On the huge poster, her frowns and smiles reveal a kind of nobility and coldness, just like this "Plum Blossom Song".

"The slanting wind is whizzing, the drizzle is light, the fairy flower of Yaotai, feeling depressed. The Nagato is sad, the empty boudoir is lonely, where is the bosom friend? The road is far away. Whoever envies, the snowy appearance and ice muscle; whoever rewards, the solitary fragrance is clear. Shankuma, scattered and fluttering, who will call for a ghost. Don’t make muddy flakes, don’t make mixed flowers, just make jade fragments to dispel incense..."

Ye Zijin felt sad when she heard that, Xinyu had already cried to the point of tears.

(End of this chapter)