89.
The wine in the Pearl Tavern smelled like shabu-shabu water a few months ago, and there was still no change after a few months. Hailian just took a sip and wrinkled her nose involuntarily. Hmm, it seems a little more sour.
"My manuscript fee has been paid. I paid the rent in advance, bought new manuscript paper, ink, cut my hair, washed my clothes, and saved a little at the United Chamber of Commerce," O'Brien said, putting away a pile of odds and ends. The coin was pushed to Hai Lian, "This is the rest - half a year loan period, catch up as promised." He showed a slightly shy but relieved smile.
Hai Lian looked at the yellow, yellow and white gadgets on the table: "Then the rest of your life..."
"Enough, totally enough." O'Brien understood what he was asking, and his smile grew wider, "You know, I have a play, which was bought by the big theater. The whole thing was written by me That, you understand?"
Hailian raised her eyebrows: "So powerful?"
"Hey, it's good luck." The man wiped his nose, embarrassed, "They said that the audience has seen enough of the family grievances, the rich and powerful, and want something new and exciting, and I happen to live in the mud District," O'Brien took a sip of his wine, "I wrote a story about theft and fraud, and they took it right away."
Hai Lian clicked his tongue, unable to understand what's so good about this thing. If the spectators are willing to come to Anwana District and let their feet be splashed with mud, they can see different tricks of theft and fraud every day.
He curled his lips: "The aristocrat's taste is really special."
"Hey, anyway, as long as you give me money, I can write anything. After I revise and revise, I can go to rehearsal. When the official performance is over, I will invite you and your brother to watch it." O'Brien said here again Turning back to the previous topic, "By the way, where's your cousin, has he returned to Dongzhou?"
"One, he's still dreaming; two, he's not my relative." Hailian peeled a peanut, "Before he hired me to do errands, he lied for the convenience of walking around."
O'Brien was taken aback: "Hire you to do something?"
Hai Lian thought about it, and decided it's better not to tell the writer about her job: "Well... Hire me to be his bodyguard."
O'Brien groaned to express his understanding. A wealthy Dongzhou native really needs some protection in Jiumeng City. He picked up the wine glass and was about to take two sips when Hailian continued, "And I slept with him."
"!" O'Brien wiped away the wine stains from his mouth, and stared at Helian in surprise, "Ahem... You follow him, you follow..."
"Not relatives." Hailian emphasized.
"I know it's not relative, but I thought you..."
"Why?" Hailian tilted her head.
O'Brien didn't say anything after that. What do you think, that his neighbor is a normal person? A normal person in the Mud District would be sitting in a dim factory building or on a dirty wharf by now, racking his brains for ten coppers a day, not sitting here drinking ale with him in the Pearl Tavern. But a writer is a writer after all, and his ability to accept is very good. He looked at Hai Lian who was sitting across the table, who was playing with the paulownia cup in his hand, and the remaining liquor was swirling in the cup, like small waves floating with foam .
—Since there are many unusual things in his neighborhood, it is not surprising that one more is unusual.
After thinking about this, O'Brien's expression immediately relaxed: "Uh, it's nothing. Then he's done with his work now?"
"Almost, maybe it's not finished yet." Hai Lian had no interest in what Fang Tinglan wanted to do, so naturally he didn't want to ask curiously. He remembered what he wanted to tell the writer, "I will go back to East China in the middle of the year. State."
"With him?"
Helian nodded.
"Is that coming back?"
"Of course," Hailian smiled, "I'm from Tisu, not from Dongzhou."
90.
Back to the time after Jiumeng, everything seemed to be getting better slowly.
Except for the addition of Fang Tinglan by his side, Hailian's life is still quite free as before. During this period of time, Fang Tinglan was busy with his own affairs, and Hailian stayed in the mud area most of the time, except for sometimes harassing him at night.
He also told Faluco that he was going back to Eastern State. Although the coffin-faced sheriff was a little surprised, he still blessed him.
"Just before you go, I want you to do one last thing for me," he said.
"what?"
"It's not the time yet." The sheriff pressed his temple and put a piece of information on the candlestick, "Wait for my news."
Faluco said that he waited for news from him until April, and before the order for the last thing was sent to Helian, he was accompanying O'Brien to watch an execution in Amber Square.
The writer who just clenched his fists to express that he would never be afraid has turned pale now, his hands are tightly clutching Hailian's sleeves, his eyes are wandering, and Hailian even suspects that he will faint at any moment.
He had to pat O'Brien's hand: "Take it easy."
"No... I can't take it easy on this kind of thing." O'Brien's teeth were trembling. He looked at the huge crowd of onlookers below. The nobles in the stands are still the civilians on the ground, and everyone is supervising the execution of the executioner to be fast and the death to be slow.
He wanted to stand up in panic, but the roof was really not an easy place to keep his balance. The man tried several times and his feet still trembled, so he had to sit back again.
"You like this kind of scene?" He looked at the young sailor beside him.
"I don't like it." Hai Lian was probably the only person in the area who was not infected by the atmosphere. He grabbed O'Brien's arm to prevent his neighbor from breaking his writing hands. "But I don't hate it either."
"I hate."
"I hate you and ask me to bring you here?" Hailian raised an eyebrow, "I even found such a good stand for you."
"I just... want the drama to be more realistic." As soon as he finished speaking, the crowd below suddenly let out a cry of alarm, the wooden boards on the execution platform were lifted, the noose was tightened, and the climax of death. The writer finally wailed unbearably and covered his head with his hands.
Hai Lian saw how pitiful he was, and suggested, "Shall I buy a bottle of wine?"
O'Brien nodded quickly.
Hai Lian lightly jumped down from the small building, and was about to enter the nearby tavern when a man wearing a black uniform from the Public Security Department stopped him and pointed to the carriage beside him, half of the security officer's face was exposed in the window, Give him a slight nod.
Hailian clicked his tongue and pointed to the roof of the person in front of him: "I have a friend whose legs are weak now, please help him." After finishing speaking, he walked towards the carriage.
91.
"Qin Weiyu found the thread." Zhou Buyi cut to the chase, "If we can really catch the thread, we will have a big bargaining chip, and we don't have to worry about that treacherous official not cooperating with us."
"He's still useful." Fang Tinglan nodded, "What is the origin of the other party?"
"He was the former clerk of the Minister of Finance, and he owed a lot of gambling debts recently. We promised to help him pay it off." Zhou Buyi paused, and added, "Of course, it was your money."
Fang Tinglan: "..."
Zhou Buyi had no shame on his face: "One more thing, the other party is a little worried about us, saying that he will decide the meeting place."
Fang Tinglan didn't care about this: "Where is it fixed?"
"Let me see..." Zhou Buyi took out a note from his pocket, "Xuzheng tonight, you and Qin Weiyu are waiting for him at No. 17 Delphinium Street, the first room on the third floor, no unrelated people are allowed, No sharp weapons are allowed."
92.
The interior of the official carriage of the Public Security Department was like a prison cell, and Hai Lian felt uncomfortable sitting in it: "Why didn't you deliver the letter this time, but you came in person?"
"Because it's a big deal."
"Difficult?"
"It's not too difficult, but I hope the knife is sharp enough." Farukoping looked into the killer's eyes.
Hai Lian smiled: "You should know if I'm sharp or not."
"That's good," Faluco exhaled, and said in a low voice, "At eight o'clock in the evening, go to No. 17 Delphinium Street and deal with everyone in the first room on the third floor."
"Everyone?"
"yes."
Hai Lian stroked her index finger and glanced out the car window. The death row prisoner had been released, and people went home with a sense of satisfaction, but the executioner quietly performed a requiem ceremony for the dead beside the rack.
"Okay, I'll leave in a while." Hai Lian said.