When Cheng Fengtai left Shuiyun Tower and arrived at Fan's house, it would be after nine o'clock in the evening. Because there are many old people and children in Fan's house, there is endless trouble during the day, and at night, everyone will fall asleep after dinner. In the huge house, there are only the crying of the child, the nurse coaxing and singing, and the snoring of the old man sleeping soundly. All the voices were lurking in all directions, all of them were dim, low and unreal, and suddenly there was a loud sound, which seemed to be very quiet at night, making people unconsciously relax their hands and feet. Cheng Fengtai drove straight in, went to the living room on the second floor to find Fan Lian, entered the door, the first thing he saw was the imperial concubine's couch where he and Shang Xirui had absurd times, and he felt another block in his heart.
Fan Lian was drinking foreign wine and reading under the lamp. When he saw Cheng Fengtai, he closed the book with a hilarious smile: "Why are you here? Did you get kicked out by your sister?"
When Fan Lian said this, Cheng Fengtai couldn't help smiling. When Cheng Fengtai first got married, whenever his second grandmother was not happy with him, he would go to his brother-in-law overnight to complain about his distress and stay overnight. Now that they have been married for many years, Second Mistress puts all her heart on the child, and she has lost more of her heart for him. Many things have found a balance, there is nothing to be pretentious about, and she doesn't want another Shang Xirui to continue to torment him.
Cheng Fengtai took off his coat annoyedly, poured himself a glass of whiskey, filled it with a lot of ice cubes, and drank it all in one gulp. Then he poured another glass, walked to the fan and unbuttoned his shirt to let the wind blow. After cooling down, he let out a long sigh.
Seeing that his expression was not right, Fan Lian said, "Hey! You were kicked out by your sister, right?"
Cheng Fengtai said: "How can she? She can't love the three boys in the family, so she still has time to talk to me? I'm the fourth child now!" He changed his tone and said solemnly: "The batch of goods I went to Qujiang I got robbed and killed two of my buddies. I still don’t know who did it, so you have to find out.”
The two had a busy discussion for a while, and Fan Lian sighed again and again. Those two big guys came from Fan's house to help my uncle, and this gang lasted five or six years. This year, I planned to support the two of them to engage in tobacco and soil trading. Unexpectedly, I still didn't have the fate of making a fortune, so I only walked back and forth twice, and ended up in the wilderness, which is not a good feeling. As for that batch of goods, Fan Lian and Cheng Fengtai thought the same thing, even if they lost it, it wouldn't be heartbreaking, Cheng Fengtai still had this bit of confidence, what was afraid of was that the other party would get addicted to the sweetness, one would have two , broke the "Silk Road" paved by Cheng Fengtai with money.
Fan Lian said: "With the face of Commander Cao and I, we will definitely be able to find him. But if we find out, it's not our friendship, what should we do if we talk to you like a lion? If we can fight with Commander Cao's soldiers, then we can Is it good stubble?"
Cheng Fengtai took a sip of ice wine and said: "If the lion opens his mouth, I don't want that batch of goods either. I'll ask Commander Cao to buy a regiment to suppress the bandits, but I still don't believe it won't kill a bunch of gangsters! Damn, spend more money I admit it, it’s okay to always have such a disconnected person to block me!"
Fan Lian thought to himself what kind of bandit are you trying to suppress, I think you are a bandit, and said with a smile: "It's nothing else, our two aunts don't know what's wrong, they insist that your ointment is the best, now you're going to be addicted to cigarettes .”
Cheng Fengtai smiled vaguely, but there was no hint of a smile on his face, and even chatted with Fan Lian from the price of Yunnan opium soil to Cao Guixiu's bombardment of the Japanese, but he didn't become very lively. Cheng Fengtai has always been a very high-spirited and funny person, once he gets low, he is easily noticed. Fan Lian felt that his brother-in-law wouldn't be so depressed because of a batch of goods, and he wouldn't be so sad because of the two big guys. He tried to ask a question, but Cheng Fengtai refused to answer, and after a long time he said silently: "I don't agree with that opera singer." Happy."
Fan Lian laughed out loud when he heard this, and poured him another drink: "What did I say? He was kicked out."
Cheng Fengtai squinted at him: "What? You're gloating?"
Fan Lian shook his head: "It's not unusual for you two to quarrel, it's not unusual for you two to fight."
Cheng Fengtai took a sip of his wine: "Is he so bad-tempered?"
Fan Lian exaggeratedly exclaimed: "Hey! What do you think? Back then when he fought with Chang Zhixin, it would be so shabby and shabby for a big boss to fight in the street."
Cheng Fengtai laughed and said: "That's why he's crazy."
Fan Lian said: "When you're not crazy, it's unreasonable enough."
Cheng Fengtai frowned and said with a smile: "You seem to have a problem with him?"
Fan Lian said with a smile: "It's not an opinion, let's tell the truth! Outsiders look at him as gentle and gentle, but I know the bottom line-to be honest, that's all about your temperament. Of course, you are considered good among the young masters." But no matter how good you are, you won’t be as good as Xiao Lai, right? Even Xiao Lai—Sister-in-law Ping told me that when I was young, I was often made to cry by him. When he gets anxious, he pulls his neck and yells. So you see now, Xiao Lai will never talk too much about things he can ignore."
Cheng Fengtai nodded: "I can tell, this girl Xiaolai has three sentences to say, it's very easy."
Fan Lian said: "It's all because of his strange temper. Not to mention Xiao Lai, he dared to yell at his godfather, and when it was over, Old Shang chased him all over the street with a big stick. We must subdue him. After more than ten years of beating, my son is still not convinced, and my father will die first, and the success is on the verge of failure!"
Cheng Fengtai looked up to the sky and sighed: "This actor..." He suddenly remembered and asked: "Is it the same for Sister Ping?"
Fan Lian smiled maliciously: "Hey! Wrong! He treats everyone close to him like this, except for Sister-in-law Ping. You have to test the temperature of the water for Sister-in-law Ping and don't scald the senior sister. Like a filial son." He said this intentionally to annoy Cheng Fengtai. Cheng Fengtai really felt very irritated in his heart, felt that Shang Xirui was a blind fool, he couldn't make ends meet with him, he was let down, on the surface he was sullen and didn't say anything else. Fan Lian looked a little unbearable, and then said seriously: "But then again, aren't you a filial son to my sister? So his temper with you may not be able to explain anything." Smiled, clinked glasses with Cheng Fengtai: "Just being with him, you are so tired!" Still gloating.
Cheng Fengtai suddenly stood up, drank all the wine, and put a meal on the table: "Fuck with him!"
Fan Lian tilted his head, grinning at his stubbornness.
Fan's family was troubled, there were not two guest rooms, and the room was still covered with spring bedding, like a hotel. That night Cheng Fengtai rested in Fan Lian's room, and the two big men talked nonsense until midnight. At noon the next day, the phone at the end of the corridor rang loudly, waking them both up. Cheng Fengtai turned around with a sad face, tried his best to avoid Fan Lian, and even said that he was too hot. Fan Lian slapped Cheng Fengtai's flat chest and groped for a while, without opening his eyes, he let out a very lonely sigh.
A younger brother from the Fan family outside answered the phone, and after a while, he ran over and opened the door to look at Fan Lian's bed, and then looked again. Before the door could be closed, he immediately ran back to answer the phone: "En! My brother-in-law is here! My brother is also here." My brother is sleeping with his arms around his brother-in-law!"
Cheng Fengtai got up as soon as he turned over, and walked out barefoot, thinking about why the children of the Fan family can't speak human well. The call was from the Second Mistress, and Commander Cao had a letter saying that the gangsters who robbed the goods were indeed members of the military, and they were called "military bandits." Commander Cao was far away from this military bandit commander and had never had any contact with him, and the military bandit commander did not need to buy into Cao Commander's account, and robbed a batch of goods, probably to test the depth and blackmail a fortune.
Once you find someone, it's easy to go down. Things that can be done with money are nothing. Cheng Fengtai dragged Fan Lian from the bed and was busy for a while. Commander Cao puts pressure on the army and bandit commanders, Fan Lian campaigns in the officialdom, and Cheng Fengtai finds ways to pay bribes. After working like this for two or three days, I really couldn't take care of getting angry with Shang Xirui.
The joy of having a baby in Shuiyun Tower can temporarily dilute some of Shang Xirui's resentment. He is not very old, if the disciples are close in age, people will definitely criticize him and say that he is arrogant. Shang Xirui didn't want to formally accept apprentices either, because he sang well and badly, it was all his own. It's fine if the apprentice sings well, but if he sings badly, people will say: Hey, his master is actually Shang Xirui! He didn't want to bear the reputation. Although he doesn't recognize the title of master and apprentice, he is not perfunctory at all in teaching. Zhou Xiangyun, Yang Baoli, and a martial arts student, Xiao Yulin, are Shang Xirui's key training targets. The three opera singers felt it in their hands, Shang Xirui hated their Master Kaimeng for not solidifying their foundations, so he went into battle and broke their legs and arms himself, dismantling them like clay figurines. Zhou Xiangyun and Xiao Yulin are fine, Zhou Xiangyun is an honest child, no one is staring at her and she is training hard, she didn't throw away the airs that Shang Xirui taught him in the past. Xiao Yulin is a martial arts student, so it's easy to tear his waist and hips. Only the delicate Yang Baoli suffered. Relying on a little bit of cleverness, Yang Baoli is as light as he is in the literary field, and he refuses to work hard on the shelf of kung fu. Shang Xirui pressed him once, and he cried out - of course, Shang Xirui's methods are stricter than ordinary subjects.
Yang Baoli screamed in pain, and Shang Xirui scolded angrily: "Look at you! You came on stage and sang without stretching your muscles! If I knew it would be so hard, I wouldn't want you! Why don't you drag a fancier into the sea Woolen cloth!"
Over there, Zhou Xiangyun and Xiao Yulin were also sweating from exhaustion. The two of them had been doing a horse stance for almost two hours. Several bricks were tied to their arms and legs. At first they were as light as a feather, but now they were as heavy as Mount Tai, almost breaking their bones. They came to sing operas, not to practice martial arts, they didn't know how Shang Xirui did it. Zhou Xiangyun had always been weak, and before leaving Yunxi's class, Si Xi'er beat him up for provocation, and this beat put all the work for the next ten years in it. A gust of cool wind blew by, Zhou Xiangyun shook her body dizzily, Shang Xirui scolded: "As soon as the wind blows, you keep shaking! What are you shaking! Are you a paper banner?" After that, his eyes sharply inspected the three People, from Xiao Lai took the towel to wipe his sweat: "If you dare to be lazy, I will beat you to death!"
The three of them wanted to cry, but they felt that Shang Xirui seemed to be particularly fierce when he was teaching opera, or he has been very fierce recently, and there was a fear of going out of the tiger's mouth and into the wolf's den in his heart. But Xiao Lai knew where Shang Xirui's energy came from, so he didn't move his brows with a wooden face. Quarrel, it's time to quarrel! - It's better to break up as soon as there is a quarrel, it's overdue!
It's not that Shang Xirui never quarreled with Cheng Fengtai, but often after a short silence, Cheng Fengtai would come to subdue him and tease him, it's never happened before to disappear without a trace. He didn't know what kind of temper he had, because he had never been on such a good terms with anyone before, Jiang Mengping and Cheng Fengtai had similar status, but his feelings towards Cheng Fengtai and Jiang Mengping were completely reversed. Jiang Mengping is a delicate woman, Shang Xirui took good care of her wholeheartedly, fearing that it would be too late, he cut out his intestines and handed them over to her, fearing that she would find it fishy. As for Cheng Fengtai, Shang Xirui is willing to treat him with his temper, watching him go out of his way to pay for him and do his best for him. Constantly testing Cheng Fengtai's bottom line, Cheng Fengtai coaxed him until he was tired and helpless, his voice was hoarse and his lips were pale. He felt distressed, but still refused to give in, because he hadn't touched Cheng Fengtai's bottom line yet, he was pervertedly unwilling. Shang Xirui has never admitted that he has an extra layer of unscrupulous feelings for Cheng Fengtai.
But Cheng Fengtai doesn't know how to flatter him!
Shang Xirui was annoyed for a few days, disassembled and reassembled the three little actors, feeling slightly relieved. When the three opera singers saw Shang Xirui, it was like seeing a living hell. Zhou Xiangyun became more silent, Yang Baoli became more obsequious, and Xiao Yulin would not show her face if she could, and walked three feet away from him when she met her, with her head bowed. On the fifth day of the cold war, Shang Xirui waited and waited but Cheng Fengtai couldn't come, he was about to vomit blood, so he waited for Du Qi to come.
Du Qi in a suit and leather shoes groped into the backstage through the door from the alley, Shang Xirui misunderstood that Cheng Fengtai had come, his heart was pounding like a big frog! Pretentiously, he continued to comb the tail of the neckline, pretending that there were people coming and going in the backstage, and he didn't care. When Du Qi smiled, he turned his head to look carefully, his face was immediately covered with a layer of cold frost, and he slapped the iron comb in his hand on the table.
Du Qi was originally holding a rolled-up manuscript, and at this moment he tapped the manuscript on his head twice: "Oh, boss Shang, what a good wrestler! Why don't you welcome me?"
Shang Xirui twitched the corner of his mouth: "How can you, sit down for a while."
Du Qi threw the manuscript into his arms, and sat down broadly: "I'll calm down first, if you don't do well after trying, we can change it." He smiled and walked around the newly recruited actors, seeing Their eyes are bright and their bodies are soft. They are so wonderful, and there is a fatherly smile on their faces: "This is a gift for the children. I have saved the notebooks for three days, and I have to give lectures during the day. Going to make trouble for Xue Qianshan's bridal chamber! I'm so exhausted! Hurry up and watch! Don't be so fucking procrastinating! If you can't finish watching, I'll tear it up and feed you!"
Next to him, Yuan Lan was very concerned about Xue Qianshan's marriage, and said with a smile, "Master Seventh went to the wedding? I didn't go. How are they?"
Du Qi crossed his fingers and combed his hair, he laughed and said, "Since I'm honored to be here, can I be wrong?" No need to say more, Yuan Lan understood. Du Qi's so-called trouble in the bridal chamber was mischievous, finding fault and causing trouble, and he was only short of having a firecracker in Xue Qianshan's crotch.
Shang Xirui had no interest in Xue Qianshan's marriage, sat down on the sofa dejectedly, flipped through the pages under the lamp. This new play is called "A Merchant Girl's Hatred", as the name suggests, it's about the joys and sorrows of the sisters in the brothel. This is still the first draft, many additions, deletions and deletions were made in circles and inked, when the climax came up, cursive script was simply used, and Shang Xirui's head was as big as a bucket, his eyes were black, and his stomach was rubbing out Take a small flame. But Du Qi is not Cheng Fengtai, he will not reveal his true nature to Du Qi, he is very measured towards his friends, and whispered: "It's a mess! Why don't you read it to me!"
Du Qi puffed out a cigarette and spat at him: "You have a good idea!"
Shang Xirui continued to read depressedly, seeing the characters he couldn't understand, he couldn't help asking Du Qi a few more questions, and Du Qi spat at him again: "Which famous character in Liyuan Bank looks like you? The whole thing Illiterate! I won’t talk about a scholar like Yuan Xiaodi, but Wang Xiaoping’s brush strokes and Li Sishan’s strokes of calligraphy. You met with the Liyuan Guild Hall, would you mind saying hello to someone? You are illiterate!”
Du Qi didn't rest well in the past two days, his temper was bad, and he got along well with Shang Xirui Shuiyunlou, he didn't save any face when speaking in front of the newcomers. Shang Xirui didn't feel ashamed, he sighed, groaned twice and fell back on the sofa to read his book.
Du Qi wrote the play for three days in a row, and Shang Xirui also spent some time watching the play. He wrote the lyrics himself, and he couldn't comprehend them. Zuixin, unable to move for a long time, suddenly put an orchid finger on his hand, and leisurely recited a sentence from the play in the book, like a fake corpse, making the new little opera singers cover their mouths and laugh.
Shang Xirui sighed twice after reading the book, covered his face with the manuscript, and sang a section of the rocker in the book in a low voice, his whole body was in the air, leaving the world of mortals aside, it was completely beautiful. Everyone here has seen his photographic memory ability, so no one cares about him. The little opera singers watched him behave like this, winking at each other and laughing secretly, thinking that the troupe master is very dull, and staying a little amusing, people can't be afraid of him any more. Yang Baoli quickly leaned forward to get close, squatted next to his ear and smiled flatteringly: "The class leader sings really well, can you tell us about the new play?"
Shang Xirui stretched out his hand and gently pushed his prickly head, and read in a playful voice, "It's the spring sleep, don't make trouble with me!"
The actors covered their mouths and laughed there.
Yuan Lan slapped Du Qi and glanced at Shang Xirui: "Hey! Young Master Seven, you were recruited, we can't control it!"
Du Qi knew in his heart that this time his huge pen was producing flowers again, and his performance was admirable, and his complacency was no small matter. At this time, there was a probe outside the door, and then shyly approached, it turned out to be Sheng Ziyun. Sheng Ziyun's praise of opera singers a few years ago delayed his studies, and he was almost repeating a grade. It took him half a year to catch up with his classmates. Seeing that his homework was all right, he couldn't stay idle immediately, and still ran to Shuiyun Tower every now and then. It was an unfortunate day for him to come today. Du Qi is here, and his little literary accomplishment and knowledge of operas are absolutely impossible to show. What's more unfortunate is that Shang Xirui picked up a new play today, the play is a good one, but not everyone can act it. After a while of nympho, Shang Xirui jumped up and ordered a few opera actors on the spot: "You guys come with me to Tongyuefang! If there are still plays tonight, stay and sing, and I will take you later!"
Du Qi immediately understood Shang Xirui's intentions, patted Shang Xirui on the back of the neck, and said, "My dear brother, you want to go with me! The children are still young, you have to see the world a little bit to play this show .But you are all Dan, and you should go with Sheng. Are you born to be a prostitute?"
Du Qi is a veteran among them and has the most say, Shang Xirui nodded. The actors over there are all grown up in the lower class. Who doesn't know that Tongyuefang is famous in Sijiu City. Tongyuefang has a nice name, and it is not an ordinary kiln. The girls in the square have outstanding stage names and quite the charm of the Qinhuai River. It is an elegant place in the romantic field. Just having a little money may not be able to meet the good actors in the workshop, it depends on Du Qi's introduction.
The other actors were secretly excited, and the two honest children, including Zhou Xiangyun, blushed and looked very embarrassed. Yang Baoli raised his eyebrows and bared his teeth in front of the mirror with an ouch, looking left and right for a while, and said, "Leader! Are we going to wear this?"
Shang Xirui said: "Yeah! Isn't this pretty?"
Yang Baoli said embarrassingly: "It's too shabby!"
Shang Xirui pulled him away from the mirror: "It's not that you are asked to go on a blind date! When you get there, listen and watch more, learn more!"
The three little Kundans who were named asked with embarrassment: "Team leader? Do we have to go too? Tongyuefang can still pick up female guests?"
Shang Xirui looked at Du Qi. Du Qi said: "The ones I brought in are fine."
Another actor asked: "But the troupe master, our monthly money is not enough to drink a cup of tea inside!"
Yuan Lan interjected and laughed: "Fool! Go out with the class leader, and you still need to spend money? You are called out of tolerance! Going out of tolerance to visit the brothel, you are so beautiful!" Then she smiled at Shang Xirui: "We old people won't go Isn't it? Isn't it just singing a kiln sister? It takes so much effort! Hey! If you play the queen, don't you have to live in the Forbidden City for two days?" Sit there with a sandalwood fan and pat yourself on the shoulders. There is no need to study for this just right coquettishness. Several senior brothers scrambled to go, they usually go to the Bada Hutong for entertainment, why would they join in the fun, Shang Xirui would definitely not let them take advantage of it. Sheng Ziyun came here on a rare occasion, and caught up with Shuiyunlou to visit the brothel together, and slipped away without saying a word to Shang Xirui. Xiao Lai would never go to that kind of place.