Shanghai Embroidery Lady

Chapter 66 Apricot Blossom Sky Shadow
The tables and chairs in the restaurant of the Lan mansion are luxurious and noble. The curvature of the back of the leather chair fits the elegant figures of the noble ladies well. Large bouquets of lilies of the valley and lilies are filled with vases. The morning sun shines through the white lace Curtains spilled over the scarlet jacquard rug.The waiter wearing a black bow tie shuttled lightly and freely in the restaurant with a silver tray, which contained various exquisite snacks, coffee milk and other breakfast foods.

Ye Zijin looked around and saw that familiar silhouette.She took a deep breath, repeatedly practiced the words she had considered in the room, and walked towards the man step by step.

"Farewell? Are you going back to Shanghai?" Meng Haoxiang frowned slightly, and put down the white porcelain cup with a European pattern rim, with a hint of calm deterrence in his indifference.

Ye Zijin said resolutely: "No, I have to spend more time looking for Master's son. Boss Meng should ask someone else to translate. All the students in Beipingyang Academy can do this."

Meng Haoxiang lowered his face, pursed his lips, suddenly put his hand into his trouser pocket, raised his right foot and leaned on the back of the chair, a few rays of morning light outlined his distinct profile.

"No, the Wiltons are already familiar with you. It might be embarrassing for them to change another translator. Besides, I have already sent someone to help you find it, so you don't have to go in person." Meng Haoxiang said calmly, with a very serious attitude. resolute.

Ye Zijin was unwilling to compromise no matter what, how could he, Meng Haoxiang, influence her actions. "I'm sorry, Boss Meng, I don't want to be your translator anymore. Also, I'm not from Baohui Foreign Firm. You don't seem to have the right to stop me from going anywhere."

Meng Haoxiang was silent for a moment, and said lightly: "If you stay, I will not pay you less. You only need to finish the half-day in the afternoon and the translation tomorrow morning. And I will send more people to find Master Shen's son. You go out alone without a clue, and I don’t have time to save you if you get kidnapped.”

Ye Zijin only suppressed his emotions, smiled politely back, and said, "I appreciate Boss Meng's kindness. I don't need any reward. I just want to find it myself."

"Why? No, the cooperation between Baohui Matheson and the British Matheson is very important. I won't allow a single mistake. You must stay and continue to do translation. If you have any dissatisfaction, we will talk about it after sending the Wiltons away." Meng Haoxiang looked normal, It's just that the tone is much tougher.

The fire in Ye Zijin's heart suddenly shot up, and since there were guests dining around, she had no choice but to lower her voice and say, "Boss Meng, I think you should make it clear that I am not your subordinate, and I don't need to listen to it." Your arrangement, we have not signed any agreement. I am saying goodbye to you today out of politeness, otherwise I could just walk away. "

Meng Haoxiang's voice raised a little instead, "If I say no, then I won't. It seems that you are not a person who does not keep promises. Why do you promise well but now you go back on your word?"

Ye Zijin was at a loss for words for a moment, she came to say goodbye to him with confidence, but in the end he made it look like she had broken her promise first.

The atmosphere fell into a stalemate, and the two fell silent. Meng Haoxiang looked angry, and took a sip of coffee.

Ye Zijin only hated that her attitude was not firm enough, but in front of Meng Haoxiang, she always seemed to lack so much confidence.

At this moment, Qu Xiangtian walked in, seeing that Meng Haoxiang and Ye Zijin's faces were not looking good, Qu Xiangtian coughed lightly twice, walked up to Meng Haoxiang and said, "Brother, there is news about the person you asked me to check. After finishing speaking, Qu Xiangtian took out a note from his pocket and handed it to Meng Haoxiang.

Meng Haoxiang took it over and glanced at it, then suddenly got up and walked to Ye Zijin's side, holding the note between his middle finger and index finger, flashed past her, and only said coldly, "Let's go, aren't you looking for Shen Kangtong?"

The car stopped at the entrance of an alley. On both sides of the narrow alley were old courtyard houses that had been eroded by wind and frost. Moss grew sparsely under the base of the walls, and a few dogtail grasses emerged from the corners of the walls. There were still horse-holding posts outside the gates of several courtyard houses. .

Meng Haoxiang and Ye Zijin walked into this alley called Xinghuatian. Not far away, there was a master sugar blower, surrounded by four or five children.

Ye Zijin took the address that Meng Haoxiang gave her in the car, stepped forward and asked, "Master, do you know which courtyard a family named Shen lives in?"

The old master put a monkey grandson that had just blown it on the wooden frame, pointed at it indifferently, and said, "It's right in front."

Ye Zijin glanced at the deep alley, there are several families in front of this, the direction of this old master is too vague.

At this time, a childish voice sounded, "I know which one it is."

Ye Zijin looked down, and saw a little boy looking up at her, with innocent and cunning in his watery eyes.

Standing beside Ye Zijin, Meng Haoxiang smiled, leaned over and patted the little boy's head, and asked, "How do you know which family surnamed Shen we are looking for? We didn't say the name."

The little boy grinned, put his little hands on his waist, and said, "There is only one family named Shen here, I didn't lie to you."

Seeing that the child didn't look like a liar, Ye Zijin said, "Then why don't you take us there?"

The little boy rolled his eyes, licked his mouth, pointed his little finger to the wooden shelf where the sugar figure was inserted, and said, "You can lead the way, I want to eat this."

Ye Zijin was amused by the little boy's greedy appearance, scratched his nose, and said with a smile, "Okay, which one do you want to choose?"

Seeing that Ye Zijin agreed so easily, the boy smiled brighter, and tiptoed to get it.

Meng Haoxiang paid the money, took off the monkey monkey's candy figurine and handed it to the little boy.

The little boy couldn't wait to take it, tilted his head and glanced at Meng Haoxiang, and asked, "How do you know I want Sun Monkey?"

Meng Haoxiang folded his hands on his chest, and said in a much more relaxed tone, "Because you are a stubborn monkey, Great Sage, lead the way."

Satisfied, the little boy held the Monkey King and walked forward. There were several apricot trees not far from each other in the alley, and now there were large clusters of white or pink apricot blossoms on the branches, making this dilapidated street The alleys are a bit brightly decorated.Some petals fell under the tree in small pieces, some fell on the uneven road with the wind, and some flew directly over the wall and fell into someone's yard.

Ye Zijin and Meng Haoxiang walked side by side, with the little boy leading the way.Ye Zijin now knows why this alley is called Xinghuatian, because the plants, trees, bricks, and tiles here are as long and meaningful as the lyrics of Xinghuatianying, tactful and elegant, and seem to have a faint yearning.

Not long after, Ye Zijin and Meng Haoxiang followed the little boy to the gate of a courtyard house.

I saw the little boy rushing in, shouting as he ran, "Mom, someone is looking for you."

Then a gentle woman's voice came, "Jiaqi, don't run around, go to rub sugar before you finish taking the medicine, be careful not to damage your teeth."

The woman scolded the child softly and walked out the door.

A thin-faced woman in a thin jacket and cotton trousers came out.

"Who are you looking for?" The woman's hair was neatly coiled, and she was wearing old-fashioned clothes.

Ye Zijin hurriedly asked politely: "I'm from Shanghai, may I ask if Shen Kang and Mr. Shen live here?"

There was a hint of doubt and anxiety in the woman's eyes, "What are you looking for from my husband?"

Ye Zijin took out the two family letters in the handbag and handed them to the woman, saying: "My master is Mr. Shen's father. Now the master is seriously ill. I would like to ask Mr. Shen to go back and visit his old man."

The woman took the envelope and didn't look at it carefully. She saw that the two were well-dressed and they didn't look like bad guys on their faces, so she said, "You guys wait here for a while, I'll show the letter to my husband." Look."

Ye Zijin knew that this woman didn't trust them very much. She knew the hardships of living in this kind of place, so it's only human to be a little bit more cautious.She smiled and nodded, and stood outside the door with Meng Haoxiang and waited.

After a while, the woman came out again and took them in.

In the courtyard, I saw a middle-aged man planing a log with a planer, and the curls of wood chips fell on his feet like flowers.The little boy just now was sitting on the small stool next to him, licking the candy man and watching the planing wood.

The man raised his head, put down the tool in his hand, and asked, "Are you from Shanghai?"

Ye Zijin nodded and said: "Yes, I am Shen Qixiao's apprentice. Master has tuberculosis and is seriously ill. Come back with me to see his old man."

I thought the man would be impatient after hearing this, but he didn't expect a trace of surprise on his face, he didn't say a word, and picked up the plane again to continue the action just now.

Seeing that the man was indifferent, Meng Haoxiang also knew some reasons, so he said: "Even if you and Master Shen had a stalemate in the past, but he is very ill now, it's time to settle any grievances, he always wants to see you again .”

There was a sneer on the corner of the man's mouth, he looked at Ye Zijin and said, "He called you to come find me?"

This question was a bit sudden, Ye Zijin wanted to say yes, but the momentary hesitation made the man see the clue.

I saw the man laughed at himself and raised his voice: "Go away, I won't go back. When he kicked me out of the house, he never thought of letting me go back. I'm afraid he just hoped that he would never see me again." I'm an unworthy son."

The thin woman next to the man tugged at her husband's sleeve and called out in a low voice, "Kang Tong..."

Shen Kangtong slowly pulled away the woman's hand, and said in a low voice, "Guixiang, you should carry Jiaqi into the house first."

Ye Zijin didn't expect that the rift between Master Shen and his son was so deep, and Shen Kangtong even rejected her outright.

The woman went to hug the little boy, but the little boy pouted his mouth unhappily and struggled: "No, no, I still want to go out to play!"

Shen Kangtong was a little annoyed hearing the children's noise, turned around and shouted sharply: "Jiaqi! Don't mess around! Go into the house with your mother."

When Shen Jiaqi heard her father yelling at her for no reason, she burst into tears because of grievances. She couldn't stop coughing after crying, and tears mixed with sweat dripped down her cheeks.

The woman caressed the little boy's chest nervously, anxiously battering her head.The crying stopped suddenly, and when he saw the little boy passed out again, his face was pale.

The woman cried and called the child's name, and Shen Kangtong rushed forward to pick up the child and was about to run out the door.

Meng Haoxiang stepped forward to block his way, and said seriously: "There is a car waiting at the entrance of the alley. Take my car to the hospital. It is important to save the child."

Shen Kangtong glanced at him, his expression flustered, and finally he followed Meng Haoxiang's suggestion and ran towards the entrance of the alley with Meng Haoxiang.Shen Kangtong's wife rushed into the house to get something, and then chased out the door accompanied by Ye Zijin.

(End of this chapter)