Shanghai Embroidery Lady

Chapter 65 Magnolia Blossoms
Ye Zijin and Meng Haoxiang left the Guanyin Temple through the back door, not far away stood an old woman carrying a bamboo basket.

The old woman took out the steamed buns from the bamboo basket, squatted on the ground, broke them into pieces, and put them under the wall. After a while, several small heads with erect ears emerged from the grass.Several little wild cats yelled weakly and surrounded the old woman.

After feeding the cat, the old woman patted the crumbs of steamed buns on her body, straightened her hair at the temples, and walked away slowly, beating her waist.

Meng Haoxiang walked over suddenly, and saw that he unpacked a pack of dim sum, and put the whole pack of dim sum in the place where the old woman fed the cat just now. The little wild cat was a little afraid of people at first, and ran away when it saw a stranger coming. Hide in the grass.After Meng Haoxiang let go of the food and walked away, they dared to come out to eat slowly, turning their heads to look back while eating.

Ye Zijin watched the little wild cats enjoy the snacks from a distance, they stretched out their paws to lick them from time to time, and after they were full, they walked back to the grass slowly, looking very cute and cute.She couldn't help but feel a little touched in her heart. She always thought that Meng Haoxiang was a cold-blooded person who killed people without blinking an eye, but she didn't expect to have a heart of compassion.

"Do you like cats very much?" Ye Zijin asked not far behind Meng Haoxiang.

"I don't like it, nor do I hate it. It's just that when I saw them eating broken steamed buns, I remembered that when I was hungry, I didn't even have to eat broken steamed buns, and my life was worse than that of wild cats." A wry smile appeared on the corner of Meng Haoxiang's lips. , said lightly.

Ye Zijin vaguely knew that Meng Haoxiang's childhood was very hard. When she was still living a life of luxury in Dutong Mansion, maybe Meng Haoxiang had to support herself.The lives of the two of them seem to be reversed, one is sweet first and then bitter, and the other is bitter first and then sweet.

"You want to find Master Shen's son, what other clues do you have besides that address?" Meng Haoxiang avoided talking about his childhood, and asked Ye Zijin instead.

Ye Zijin sighed softly, "There is nothing else, I only know that Master's son is called Shen Kangtong, and it has been seven or eight years since he left Shanghai and came to Peiping."

Meng Haoxiang was silent for a moment, his tone soft and deep, "It is really not easy to find such a person in the huge city of Beiping, I will send someone to help you inquire, if you can't find it in the end, you still have to use forceful methods to get Master Shen to see a doctor, tuberculosis can't be delayed. "

Ye Zijin remembered that Meng Haoxiang had mentioned that Master Shen had helped him and was considered his benefactor, so she couldn't help asking: "What kindness has Master Shen done to you?" Realizing that her address was a bit inappropriate, Ye Zijin immediately changed his tune and said, "Forgive me for asking, what kindness did Master show you, Boss Meng?"

Meng Haoxiang stopped suddenly, turned around and looked directly at her, the eyes of the two met at this moment, Ye Zijin looked away in embarrassment, pretending to look at the scenery on the other side.

Meng Haoxiang's voice sounded, his tone was flat, without any emotional ups and downs, "Master Shen once treated me well with clothes. When my mother was sick and bedridden, I went to the clothing store to pawn clothes and shoes to buy medicine for her." In the twelfth lunar month of winter, I had no clothes to wear, so I could only walk on the street with bare feet. When I passed by a tailor shop, Master Shen stopped me, and he threw me an old cotton robe. Thinking about how poor I was at that time I almost sold myself..."

Ye Zijin suddenly felt a bit of sadness in her heart. When Aunt Zhou was seriously ill, she did not hesitate to pawn the jade swallow left by her aunt to buy medicine money, and she has not been able to redeem it till now.

"Okay, it's time for us to go back, Zijin." Seeing her slightly lost in thought, Meng Haoxiang called her name again.

Zijin... He wanted to call her that way a long time ago, but at that time she deliberately kept her distance, and she seemed to complain and hostile towards him later.But he didn't want to keep escaping like this forever, he and she were always together.

Suddenly hearing Meng Haoxiang call himself that, Ye Zijin felt both strange and familiar.He vaguely remembered that night, after he dealt with a group of people who were trying to assassinate him, he called her that way the first time he saw her.

Ye Zijin was stunned for a moment, but finally didn't say anything.The two were still walking in tandem. Looking at Meng Haoxiang's back, Ye Zijin couldn't help but see a shivering boy and the scene of him feeding the wild cats with snacks just now in his mind.The suffering childhood endowed this man with a maturity and stability beyond his age, honed his determination and keen insight.Now she can understand why he is so calm, why he can monopolize the overall situation in the gang that is fighting openly and secretly.

It was already evening when Ye Zijin and Meng Haoxiang returned to their residence. After the Wiltons had rested, the group went to Quanjude, a time-honored restaurant in Peking, to eat roast duck.

When Mrs. Wilton heard that she wanted to eat duck, she was very surprised and asked Ye Zijin: "Duck? No, no, no..."

Ye Zijin introduced the history of this restaurant to Mrs. Wilton. You must know that the roast duck in this restaurant has the reputation of "the delicacy of the capital, better than duck".Under Ye Zijin's strong persuasion, the Wiltons decided to try this kind of roast duck boldly. In fact, duck meat is not eaten much in their country, and the most common food is fried fish.

When a plump, bright-colored, red-coloured roast duck was served on the table, the Wilton couple couldn't believe that the duck could make such a color, and Mrs. Wilton seemed to have a kind of horror in her eyes.

Seeing that the guests were still afraid to move their chopsticks, Meng Haoxiang suggested to Ye Zijin in a low voice, "Why don't you take them to Donglaishun Mutton Restaurant to eat boiled mutton? I heard from the fourth son that the restaurant is good."

Ye Zijin was not good at forcing the guests to eat unacceptable food, so he had to apologize to the two of them, and then asked them to move to the mutton restaurant.Meng Haoxiang asked the chef to wrap up the roasted duck slices, and Qu Xiangtian got into the car with the delicious roasted duck.As soon as he got in the car, the car was filled with a strong smell of roast duck, which was hard to dissipate even with the windows open.The atmosphere was a little awkward, and the Peking driver pursed his lips and snickered while driving.

The Wiltons were very satisfied with the next meal.Donglaishun's mutton is sliced ​​as thin as paper, even as crystals, as neat as threads, and as beautiful as flowers. Put a chopstick in it and put it in the dried shrimp and mushroom soup for instant cooking.Ye Zijin found that Mrs. Wilton was a woman who was extremely picky about food. At first she was a little worried that the mutton would have a smell, but the soup smelled very delicious and the mutton looked very tender, and Mrs. Wilton couldn't bear it in the end. Live to taste a little.This taste completely dispelled her worries. Under Ye Zijin's recommendation, she also began to learn to eat with sesame sauce, marinated shrimp oil, sauced tofu and other condiments, and she was full of praise.

Mr. Wilton showed a strong interest in Peiping and appreciated Meng Haoxiang's arrangement very much.After coming and going, the cooperation between the British foreign company and Baohui foreign company has taken a step further.

After feasting, everyone boarded the car and returned to their residences.This time when I came to Beiping, Qu Xiangtian found a place to live in a private mansion called Lan Mansion. Most of the buildings inside were European-style. In Beiping, where courtyards and alleys intersect, Lan Mansion looks unique.According to Qu Xiangtian, it was built by a businessman who had stayed abroad, mainly to receive foreign guests.

Ye Zijin walked for a day, and her feet were a little tired.She returned to her room, rubbed her sore toes, and fell on the bed exhaustedly, not wanting to move anymore.

The breeze gently blows the lavender French lace curtains, and the silver-white tassels that drag the floor are also swaying with the wind.Ye Zijin half-closed her eyes, a little sleepy, and saw the wisteria hanging down in a trance.

Suddenly a burst of fragrance floated into the room, and the fragrance lingered at the tip of the nose, making people feel refreshed.

Ye Zijin lost all sleepiness in an instant, opened the curtains and walked out following the fragrance.Looking down from the terrace on the second floor, I saw many magnolia trees planted in the small garden. Now it is the season when magnolias are in full bloom. The garden is full of trees and large tracts of magnolias are as white as snow, under the light of several pearly white street lights It looks radiant, like a fairy.

Ye Zijin couldn't help but put her hand on the milky white railing, stood on tiptoe, leaned forward slightly, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath, as if she was embracing the fragrance of the garden.But the empty city in her stomach interfered with her pleasure of admiring the flowers and smelling the fragrance. During the dinner just now, she only cared about chatting with Mrs. Wilton and didn't eat much. Now she was a little hungry.It's a pity that smelling the fragrance can't fill her stomach now, and admiring the flowers can't satisfy her hunger. She couldn't help but think of the fat duck with crispy skin and tender meat, swallowed, and sighed in frustration.

"What are you looking at?" A voice came from downstairs.

Ye Zijin was startled, and saw Meng Haoxiang standing downstairs with a kraft paper bag in one hand.He put his other hand in the pocket of dark gray fine-striped trousers, and rolled up a white shirt sleeve. The black wool suit vest was very slim.His appearance was always so unexpected to her, but everything seemed so natural.

"Would you like to come down to eat something? There is wine and meat." Meng Haoxiang held up the kraft paper bag in his hand, his eyes were deep and energetic, and there seemed to be a sense of chicness and pride between his brows.At that moment just now, he saw her standing alone on the terrace with magnolias in full bloom in the garden. She was wearing a purple cheongsam, her wrists were slender and her arms were slender. Her black hair hung softly on her shoulders, and her fair face was tufted, like a new girl. The moon is clear and the snow is piled up in Yushu.He was a little fascinated by it for a while, and only felt that it was as beautiful as a small painting, and he only wanted a small painting that he kept in his heart alone.

Ye Zijin's stomach was always empty, but hearing what Meng Haoxiang said, he was also moved, it was better than going to bed hungry.So she put on a thin woolen sweater and went downstairs.

There are small white tables and chairs in the garden, presumably these elegant tables and chairs are prepared for foreigners who drink afternoon tea.

Meng Haoxiang took out a pack of sliced ​​roast duck meat and a small flagon.Although these two things seem strange to be placed on such a table, Ye Zijin can completely ignore this small table.

"It's a pity that there are no chopsticks. Do you mind eating with your hands?" The corners of Meng Haoxiang's lips raised, and the red cloth plug on the jug had been pulled out of his hands, and a strong aroma of wine overflowed.

As soon as Ye Zijin smelled it, he knew it was the authentic Erguotou in the capital.She raised her eyes and smiled, "I don't mind."

How could she mind eating the meat with her hands? After the Eight Banners boys hunted, they roasted the venison and tore it with their hands to eat it.

Meng Haoxiang raised his head and took a sip of the wine, Ye Zijin had already eaten a few slices of duck meat unceremoniously.It is indeed a delicacy well-known in Beijing. The taste has not changed after many years. The duck meat is delicious and crispy, fat but not greasy, thin but not sticky.

"Want to taste some of this wine? I heard that Manchu women can drink a lot, but last time you seemed to get drunk after only drinking a few cups of Hua Diao." Meng Haoxiang suddenly handed the wine to Ye Zijin, and looked at her with interest .

Ye Zijin chewed and swallowed slowly, and felt that the smile on Meng Haoxiang's face seemed to be teasing her.Unconvinced, she snatched the wine jar from his hand and took a sip as well.But drinking too fast, she was choked and coughed.Throat is hot, like fire.

Meng Haoxiang handed her a handkerchief, and seeing that she was about to shed tears from choking, with crystal teardrops hanging on her black eyelashes, his heart seemed to soften.Her complexion was slightly ruddy, stained with a faint pink like peach blossom, and she was covering her mouth with a handkerchief, trying to restrain her cough, which added a bit of cuteness.

"Good wine should be tasted slowly. Are you drinking in such a hurry that you want to get drunk quickly?" Meng Haoxiang picked up a piece of meat and stuffed it into his mouth.

Ye Zijin clasped his chest to calm down, and said in a displeased tone: "Boss Meng has a good capacity for alcohol, so please drink slowly, I'll go back to my room to rest first." After finishing speaking, he was about to get up.

Meng Haoxiang suddenly held down her hand, and Ye Zijin quickly withdrew her hand as if she had touched a thorn.

"Zijin, I'm sorry, I was just joking with you. I just don't want to be too estranged with you. Do you have any prejudice against me?" The hostility in Meng Haoxiang's eyes turned into a gentle gaze, and he smiled helplessly at her With a smile, the usual coldness was reduced a lot.

The fragrance of magnolia flowers in the garden floats in the night sky, and the crescent moon among the clouds is like a faint eyebrow.

Ye Zijin was silent for a moment, and said, "I don't have any prejudice against you, Boss Meng."

Meng Haoxiang withdrew his gaze, and a trace of disappointment flashed in his eyes, "Are you still blaming me for causing trouble to your siblings? Zijin, in fact, what I said that day was not my intention, and you also saw that the situation was special at that time."

Ye Zijin didn't get used to it for a while, Meng Haoxiang actually apologized to her!She has always thought that he is a man who will not bow his head to compromise, has the courage to say what he says, even if he is wrong, he will not admit it.But now he is uncharacteristically, which makes Ye Zijin not know what to say.

"It's nothing, I've already forgotten about it." Ye Zijin said coldly.Thinking of Zizheng's injuries that day, she still couldn't help feeling a little bit of resentment towards Meng Haoxiang.She had nothing to do with gangsters, she could never endure such a frightening life, let alone allow Zizheng's safety to be threatened at all.If she hadn't asked to pay him a favor because of the incident on the train, she would not have agreed to be his interpreter.

The two suddenly stopped talking, Meng Haoxiang was drinking cold wine, Ye Zijin felt that eating this roast duck was boring.

After drinking a pot of Erguotou, Meng Haoxiang was a little drunk.Seeing that he drank too fast, Ye Zijin tried to persuade him to drink less, she knew that this wine had a lot of stamina, after drinking it, it was mellow and refreshing, but after a while, the wine became unsteady when it got stronger.But she finally held back and said nothing, after all, it seemed inappropriate to show concern for him in this situation.

Meng Haoxiang shook the empty jug, and suddenly threw the jug vigorously at the stone under the magnolia tree, and the jug smashed to pieces with a "slap".Ye Zijin was startled, but saw Meng Haoxiang leaning back on the chair, his face was flushed, his brows were slightly frowned, and he seemed to be in pain.

"You're drunk, I'll call Mr. Qu." Ye Zijin just stood up, only to feel a strong force behind her grab her hand, pulling her back violently.

She staggered and fell into Meng Haoxiang's arms.In a panic, she looked up and saw those bright eyes with sword-like brows and starry eyes. Even when she was drunk, she still had an irresistible spirit. He hugged him, and with his drunken eyes blurred, he suddenly pressed a kiss on her forehead.

A gust of cool wind caressed, Ye Zijin felt her cheeks were hot, his breath was still lingering in her ears, there was a pleasant fragrance of flowers and intoxicating wine in the air.After she broke free from his arms in a panic, she found that Meng Haoxiang had closed his eyes and fell asleep, looking very tired.

Ye Zijin wanted to leave, but saw that Meng Haoxiang was wearing thin clothes, and the night in Peking was cold, so she had to hold back her anger and went to find Qu Xiangtian.

Qu Xiangtian helped Meng Haoxiang up, and Ye Zijin also helped.She vaguely heard Meng Haoxiang muttering something, and when she heard it clearly, her heartbeat suddenly became rapid.

I only heard Meng Haoxiang muttering in a low voice: "Zijin...Zijin..."

She tried her best to hide the embarrassment on her face, and she didn't know if Qu Xiangtian heard it.After she and Qu Xiangtian entered the Lan Mansion, they hurried back to their room.After closing the door, she became more and more anxious, and her heart was beating continuously.

She forced herself to calm down, and sat on the bed after washing, still feeling that the spot on her forehead was still hot and numb.She put on the quilt irritably and covered herself tightly.Lying on the extremely soft bed, smelling the delicious incense in the brocade quilt, but I can't forget those eyes that are as deep as night.Ye Zijin suddenly became a little scared, no matter how stupid a woman encountered such a situation, if she couldn't see the other person's mind, she would be a fool.

She closed her eyes, feeling almost suffocated.She threw off the quilt and sat up on the bed. At this moment, she made a decision!Say goodbye to Meng Haoxiang early tomorrow morning.She can no longer stay by Meng Haoxiang's side, his affection for her makes Ye Zijin more and more afraid.

She clearly knew that she and Meng Haoxiang were not on the same side, she still had Zizheng, and she would never let her relatives be in any danger.

(End of this chapter)