No. 3 Jing'an Lane, Lu Ming hasn't been here for a long time. This is his first house since he came to Donghai. Standing in the alley and looking at the balcony of this two-story building, Lu Ming felt a sense of emotion inexplicably.
I came here with Hanzhu and met Pamela and Bisi, and then I met Bizhu.
Looking up, I can see this small balcony. I have sat here many times to think about problems. In particular, I was worried about whether I could escape the unpredictable pursuit. For this reason, I once stayed up all night.
It seems like not that long ago, but when I think about the confusion I felt when I first came to the East China Sea, it seems like a lifetime ago.
This small balcony has also changed its appearance. It is filled with pots and jars of flowers, and the pergola has been replaced with a colorful felt cloth with Western words on it, making it much more lively and more Westernized. At first glance, you can tell that the people living here are Westerners.
The small door leading to the inner room from the balcony creaked, and a tall and thin figure walked out. It was Jeff Stewart, Pamela's father.
But he was no longer a drunkard. He was wearing a black tuxedo, a top hat, and a walking stick in his hand. He was a gentleman. After opening the door, he saw Lu Ming on the balcony. His eyes lit up immediately. He walked down the balcony quickly with a flattering smile on his face. He was completely different from the gentleman just now. "Mr. Lu, you are here. I was just saying I would meet you outside. Come on, please come in."
Lu Ming felt helpless. Perhaps because of the tragic experience and the fact that he was almost hanged as a murderer, the temperament of this former nobleman changed drastically. Even Pamela said that her father had completely changed. He had never smiled at her before, and especially after she dropped out of school, it was this father who harshly kicked her out of the house.
But Pamela did not hate her father because of his high expectations of her.
Deep down in her heart, Pamela has always respected and feared her father. In her eyes, her father is the tallest man in the world, and she has always been sad for disappointing her father.
But now her father has completely changed, and he even often tries to curry favor with his daughter when talking to her.
Pamela said she didn't want to go home anymore because she felt sad seeing her father like that.
"Uncle Stuart..." Before Lu Ming could finish his words, Stuart sighed and waved his hands, "Mr. Lu, I told you, just call me Jeff. Our tradition doesn't have any seniority. The better the relationship, the more casual it is. We just call each other by name. But you are my boss and investor, so I can't just call you Qianhang."
Lu Ming was helpless.
I invested in Stuart and set up an art gallery.
Because before the final bankruptcy, Pamela's branch of the Stewart family must have been declining from generation to generation. By the time of Pamela's father, all that was left in the family was an art gallery, but it was enough to support the family's decent aristocratic life.
So, Stuart is very familiar with this line of work.
There are various paid exhibitions, as well as the sale of artworks, including calligraphy, famous paintings, sculptures, etc.
I think Stuart also likes this kind of life. Going back to the old days, acting like a gentleman and strolling around the art gallery every day should be his favorite.
But unfortunately, some things can never go back to the past.
Looking at his flattering smile, Lu Ming sighed in his heart.
…
With Stuart's enthusiastic company, Lu Ming went up to the balcony and entered the inner room.
"Ava, Ava! Come out quickly!" Stuart shouted as he entered the room.
The door of the kitchen opened and Pamela's mother came out wiping her hands. Lu Ming was a little dazed for a moment. Inviting his mother-in-law to eat at home, cooking the meal, and coming out of the kitchen wiping her hands, it felt like this was the traditional Chinese family style.
"Aunt..." Before Lu Ming finished speaking, Stuart interrupted and said with a smile: "We are all relatives, just call me Ava like me."
Pamela's mother looked a little embarrassed and said, "Mr. Lu, please call me Evana." Eva is a nickname after all. It's okay for elders to call her that, but it's still a bit inappropriate for younger people of the opposite sex who are not related by blood and are not that familiar to call her that.
Lu Ming nodded slightly.
Pamela's mother looked much better, except that her blonde hair had turned a little pale and could no longer return to its former color. It looked very dry and old, and the crow's feet could no longer be hidden. However, she no longer looked like the old lady she had seen when they first met. She still had some of the charm of a middle-aged woman.
"Mr. Lu, please wait, I have another soup that will be ready soon. However, I have just learned Central Chinese cuisine, so please forgive me if it doesn't suit your taste." After saying this, Evana went back to the kitchen.
"Come, come, Mr. Lu, let's have tea!" Stuart said with a smile.
Lu Ming nodded.
Pamela's mother called her personally yesterday and asked her to come for dinner. She also said that she could come by herself and didn't need to tell Pamela.
It seemed that she had wanted to ask me out many times, but was stopped by Pamela every time.
Sitting on the sofa, taking the teacup handed by Stuart, Lu Ming asked: “Uncle, aunt asked me to come here, what do you want to talk to me about, do you know?”
Lu Ming insisted on calling him "Uncle". Stuart shook his head helplessly, but in his heart, he must have felt very happy.
"It's okay, Ava. I always feel that Paula has suffered a lot. She cries when she talks about her. I guess she just wants to ask you to treat Paula well. Don't listen to her. In my opinion, Paula's life is good. Why suffer? If her life was not good, would she have met you, Mr. Lu?"
Lu Ming scratched his head helplessly. After all, this was his future father-in-law, and it was too awkward for him to always talk to him like this.
There was a gentle knock on the balcony door. Stuart answered and the door opened. An officer in a blue suit hurried in. He came to Lu Ming's side and whispered, "Boss, Mr. Liu Shoufu is calling. It's urgent. You must go and answer the call."
Liu Shoufu is Liu Laocai.
He went to the Western Regions before the New Year. I have been very busy since the New Year and didn't pay much attention to him.
"Tell him to call here!" Lu Ming looked at the figure busy in the kitchen.
"Yes!" The young clerk hurried away.
"There's a car phone?!" Although Stuart was down and out, he knew all about these new gadgets. His eyes lit up when he spoke, and it was obvious that he wanted to see them.
Lu Ming nodded: "Yes."
Although the car I ride in is not equipped with a car phone system because it takes up too much space, at least one of the cars I drive now must be equipped with a car phone system.
Moreover, the system is developing rapidly. After the new year, Donghai has opened 20 dedicated lines.
A few minutes later, the phone rang. Stuart rushed to pick it up and handed the microphone to Lu Ming with both hands.
Lu Ming had no choice but to take the call. Liu Laocai's loud voice came from the microphone: "Qianxing, Qianxing?!"
"It's me." Lu Ming coughed.
“That’s bullshit. I’ve been set up and accused of rape. Now I’m in the police station, which is called the Public Security Bureau. The sheriff asked me to negotiate a settlement with my husband, but he asked for $300,000. Otherwise, in their place, rape will result in death, with the beheading…” Liu Laocai was crying as he spoke, “Qianxing… Hey, don’t…” The phone seemed to be snatched away by someone.
Then, a man with a stiff tone spoke in the Middle-Asia language, "Empire, Bank, Bat City, Branch, Account Number..." He said word by word, and after reporting the account number, "Three days, within..."
Then, click, the call was disconnected.
Lu Ming was stunned, anxious, and at a loss whether to laugh or cry.
When I first met Liu Laocai, he was accused of indecent assault. How come, after all these twists and turns, he was back to the days before liberation? Only this time the charge went a step further, becoming a true rape suspect
But the laws of the hundreds of city-states in the Western Regions are different, and some city-states have extremely cruel laws.
Lu Ming picked up the phone, dialed, and made several calls in succession. The first one was to ask someone to contact the representative office of Fila Petroleum in Bat City. Didn't Liu Laocai say that he was invited by Fila Petroleum to play? He also wanted to see what was going on with the property rights dispute of the oil field. How could such a thing happen? Where is the representative of Fila Petroleum
The second one was a secret business partner of his, who was in the telegraph and telephone business. It just so happened that his recent development focus was on developing the Western Region market.
As for the others, there are those who are familiar with the laws of the Western Regions, especially the laws of the Bat City-State; and those who are familiar with the local customs and practices there, etc.
The call lasted for more than an hour. When Lu Ming hung up, he woke up and found that there was no one in the living room.
As if she heard that she had finished her call, the bedroom door opened and Evana and the Stewarts came out.
"Mr. Lu, if you have something to do, just go about your business." Evana sighed, "It turns out that Mr. Lu is really busy. I thought that Paula didn't want me to see you."
Lu Ming hesitated for a moment, then stood up. "Aunt, uncle, I'm really sorry. Something happened to a very good friend of mine, and I need to go take care of it. Originally, I wanted to go to the art museum with you this afternoon, but I'm afraid that won't work. I can only have lunch with you two."
"Mr. Lu, you are always busy with big and important matters! We don't need you to accompany us, so go and get busy!" Stuart said hurriedly.
Lu Ming smiled and said, "Well, I can't go on an empty stomach, can I?"
"That's right!" Evana rolled her eyes at her husband. "Come on, kid, come eat! Helping friends solve their problems is important, but we also have to eat."
"Mr. Lu" became "child", and it was obvious that the impression of Lu Ming was getting better and better.
…
In the black car, Lu Ming looked at his watch and the calendar from time to time, thinking about something.
Pamela's mother's cooking skills are quite good. Although she only started late, she cooks several Central Asian dishes that are quite authentic.
Moreover, she did not talk about herself and Pamela. She did not cry and ask me to take good care of Pamela as I had expected, or ask me if she could divorce the other concubines.
This meal was very comfortable. We just chatted about family matters. I asked Pamela many questions about her childhood and girlhood.
Pamela's mother was indeed extraordinary, with elegant conversation and extraordinary insight. However, in traditional aristocratic families, women were supposed to take care of their husbands and children and did not go out to work. Otherwise, Pamela's family would not have gone bankrupt.
In fact, it is not just aristocratic families. In today's Western family life, many husbands go out to work and women are responsible for taking care of the home, which is similar to the West at the same time.
On the other hand, among the people of Central China, more women come out to work.
Talking about Pamela's childhood, I originally resisted the urge to ask who Bis's father was.
It was Stuart who had drunk two more glasses and suddenly started scolding that guy, but Pamela's mother changed the subject and urged Stuart to go back to his room to rest, so the topic did not continue.
But it seemed that the guy didn't come from a very good background. He was just a Western gangster who often hung out near aristocratic schools. He was very handsome, but quite miserable. He dared to hook up with a noble lady, and was united by the conservative aristocrats who shared a common hatred for the enemy and secretly lynched him. Now it is unknown whether he is alive or dead, and Pamela doesn't know about this.
Thinking randomly, Lu Ming said to the front, "Let's go to the Freedom Building."