"Rebirth of the Beautiful Lady of the Republic of China"
October is slightly cooler
It was the middle of winter, and the goose-feather heavy snow was falling continuously, mixed with some north wind, and it was bone-chilling cold.
A car slowly stopped in front of the most popular Sifang Hotel in Harbin. The maid in a Western dress trotted to the front of the car. She scratched the roof of the car and opened the door respectfully.
An exquisite woman in a cheongsam got out of the car. She was in her thirties, delicate and picturesque. The thin and high heels stepped on the snow, leaving little traces.
The maid behind her immediately held up her umbrella, and snowflakes fell on the red plum oil umbrella.
The indoors and outdoors are like two different worlds. It is freezing and snowy outside, but there is singing and dancing inside the Sifang Hotel.
"Shopkeeper, we have arrived and are waiting for you in the Emperor's Room on the second floor."
This fashionable woman is none other than Tang Jiao, the famous female owner of the Sifang Hotel in Harbin.
Tang Jiao nodded, went straight to the second floor, knocked on the door briefly, and walked in with a smile, "Mr. Xu, I have kept you waiting for a long time."
The sound is like an oriole coming out of the valley.
Mr. Xu didn't hesitate. He immediately stood up and shook hands with her, a little cautiously.
Mr. Xu looked at Tang Jiao. This woman was just like the rumors, with willow-shaped eyebrows, a small cherry mouth, and a graceful figure. Although she was middle-aged, she was still so beautiful that people couldn't take their eyes away.
Tang Jiao raised her lips and said in greeting, "Mr. Xu, did you have a smooth journey here this time?"
Mr. Xu immediately remembered the purpose of his visit to Sifang Hotel this time. He secretly spit on himself and immediately said with the unique shrewdness of a businessman: "It's okay, okay, thank you, Shopkeeper Tang, for your concern."
He didn't mince words, he took a deep breath and said straight to the point: "To be honest, the reason I took the liberty to come to see Shopkeeper Tang this time is for the business of our foreign company. Now Xiangjizi and Snow Cream are extremely popular. Supplies are in short supply. I heard that Shopkeeper Tang has some channels to purchase goods from Shanghai. I wonder if I can have this opportunity and get a share of the pie?"
Tang Jiao has a certain reputation in the world. If she plays tricks with her, she will be eaten away. It's actually easier to talk if you get straight to the point.
Tang Jiao picked up the tea cup. Her slender fingers were exceptionally well maintained. Her nails were bright red, which is the most popular color nowadays. The bright red nails were set against the white bone china cup. A noble man.
The ticking clock made a sound, and as each minute passed, Mr. Xu's heart slowly lifted.
In fact, he doesn't have many supply channels. With the current war situation, not many people can get these in-demand materials. But recently, he has been really unlucky, with several businesses experiencing problems, and there are also rumors that he is very unkind in his business dealings. Some people even said that he took advantage of others. I don’t know who the bad guy did this!
Now he is in such dire straits that he has to rush from Fengtian to Harbin to find help on Tang Jiao's route.
He rubbed his hands nervously.
Tang Jiao slowly tasted the tea, and looking at Mr. Xu's expression, she seemed to feel that the effect had been achieved. She lightly opened her red lips and said, "Of course I can share a piece of the pie. Since I met Mr. Xu, I am very sincere. But I don't know, Mr. Xu How much sincerity is there?"
Mr. Xu immediately stretched out his finger.
Tang Jiao smiled meaningfully and shook her head: "Add 30%."
Mr. Xu looked at Tang Jiao in disbelief. Tang Jiao said seriously: "In this situation, if you don't do it, someone else will."
Her clear smile was a bit erratic.
Mr. Xu took a deep breath and clenched his fists: "This... I need to think about it."
Tang Jiao didn't force it: "It's fine, but I want to remind you that time waits for no one. This meal allows me to fulfill my friendship as a landlord. Please use it, but I won't accompany you."
She didn't seem to have any regrets. She got up and came to the door. Before she could open the private room door, she heard Mr. Xu's voice, "Wait a minute."
In fact, he had no more retreat. Even though Tang Jiao had harsh conditions, he could only agree. This was his only chance.
Tang Jiao turned to look at him. Mr. Xu swallowed hard: "I promise."
Tang Jiao showed a bright smile, "It seems that Mr. Xu is a smart man."
***
Tang Jiao was sitting on a mahogany chair facing the street. It was snowing outside, and the cold and wet breath seemed to penetrate into her bones.
She sat there quietly, and there was a knock on the door. Tang Jiao looked up at the door. This was her assistant Gu Er, a person she rescued from the street, and a person she had limited trust in.
Gu Er opened his mouth and reported: "Shopkeeper, the contract with Mr. Xu has been finalized. I think he will never know that we have cut off all his connections." There was a hint of a business deal on his face. smile.
But Tang Jiao didn't have any unnecessary expressions. She sat there quietly, "Have you sent a telegram to Master Qi?"
Gu Er: "It has been sent, don't worry."
Tang Jiao nodded and said, "I can rest assured that you can do your job. Come on down."
Gu Er was a little worried, but he quickly retreated and closed the door before leaving.
On this day every year, after the shopkeeper has finished handling all the matters, he will lock himself in the room and cry bitterly.
Tang Jiao smiled softly and leaned her head on the big mahogany chair. Everyone thinks that she is a person who can change everything in Harbin, but little does they know that she is just a pawn in the hands of others.
But she didn't mind being such a chess piece at all. If she hadn't met Gu Qiye, if she hadn't become a chess piece, in such troubled times, Tang Jiao was not sure that there was any difference between herself and the dancers at the Sifang Hotel. Or, she might be like the women doing skin/meat/business in the invisible dark alley across the street.
After all, it won't be better.
So she was willing to be this chess piece, became this chess piece, left her hometown and came to Harbin, and became a three-pointed person that everyone should be afraid of.
Tang Jiao felt that she actually had nothing to regret. Life was like this, with gains and losses. Today's rare vulnerability was just because it happened to be the anniversary of her mother's death.
She stood up and went to the wine cabinet to pour herself a glass of wine. The scarlet red wine was like blood.
Tang Jiao took a sip. Ever since her mother passed away and the Tang family fell into decline, her life had derailed to a point of despair.
Who would have thought that Tang Jiao from Harbin now would be the eldest daughter of the Tang family in Shanghai twenty years ago, a most delicate person.
If her father hadn't taken a concubine and brought that woman home, their family might still be in harmony. But her mother was eventually killed by that woman. Her father also gradually reached a dead end.
Their family was killed so miserably, but that woman lived a good life.
Her daughter also married well and became the wife of a chief.
Tang Jiao couldn't sleep every night. Thinking of that vicious woman, she wanted to kill her. She raised her head and drank the red wine in one gulp.
A flash of hatred flashed in her eyes. She didn't expect anything else but to return to Shanghai and kill that vicious woman in her lifetime.
Tang Jiao stood up and came to the window with a fierce look in her eyes.
On this day every year, she prayed that she would have the chance to go back, but year after year, she bit her lip and dug her fingers into the edge of the window.
When will she get a chance
"Well."
Tang Jiao actually felt a throbbing pain in her heart.
Tang Jiao slowly squatted down, big beads of sweat falling down. She wanted to speak, but she spit out a mouthful of blood, "Gu, Gu Er..."
Her pain became more and more painful, and her heart ached more and more. She looked at the wine glass not far away, stared at it, and bit her lip: "Poison..."
She fell to the ground, pinching the carpet with difficulty, suffering in pain.
She was so angry that the door of the room was gently pushed open, and someone walked in gently. Tang Jiao tried hard to raise her head to see who poisoned her to death, but she felt that she had no strength at all to see. Clean and shiny leather shoes upon arrival.
The man squeezed her hand and helped her up.
Tang Jiao didn't know whether to save her or determine her life or death. At this time, she couldn't open her eyes...
I don’t know how long it took, but she heard Gu Er’s cry...
In the thirty-seventh year of the Republic of China, Tang Jiao, the female shopkeeper of the Sifang Hotel, was assassinated and died at the age of thirty-five. Harbin's business of goods in short supply was temporarily suspended, which shocked Harbin.