Winter Begonia

Chapter 71

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Cheng Fengtai hurriedly ran to the box in the theater, seeing Shang Xirui, his first reaction was to feel relieved. Niu Baiwen sat at Shang Xirui's table, chatting with him lively! That's good, someone plays with him specially, so that he is not lonely, and his temper will be much smaller. The waiter was about to lead Cheng Fengtai to a seat, Cheng Fengtai waved his hand, quietly walked behind the two of them and stood with his hands behind his back. At the moment Shang Xirui's master is not on stage, he heard Shang Xirui chatting: "This huqin brought by Master Jin is really good."

Niu Baiwen smiled and said: "You are young, no wonder you don't know this piano player. This person was in Beiping back then—it had to be called Beijing at that time, but he was well-known in our old Beijing! The 'Qingpingle' in the drum music shop Have you heard of it? Qing is He Shaoqing, Ping is Qi Jiaping, and this one is Boss Qiao Leqiao. The old man is gone! I have to pay a visit to him after the show, Boss Shang?"

Shang Xirui said: "The show is over, I want to have supper with Master Jin, let's go together then!" He thought for a while: "Why is the piano player called the boss?"

Niu Baiwen snorted with a laugh: "He's Jiaoer! Haha, haha! The player who plays the piano splits the account with Jiaoer, right? So how much does Uncle Li get for you?"

Shang Xirui doesn't shy away from this kind of question at all: "With me, it's always 40%, with others, when Li Bo is more, it can be 70% to 80%."

Niu Baiwen nodded: "Uncle Li's piano is very good, but he's not very famous. I'm still surprised. I've been in Peiping for so many years, but I've never heard of his old man. Unexpectedly, I'm so late to meet you. ! This method of dividing accounts is based on ability rather than fame, Boss Shang, you are benevolent!"

Shang Xirui himself nodded there too, thinking he was very righteous. When he was in Huixian Tower back then, he could tell that Uncle Li's piano skills were extraordinary, but he was always lazy, always perfunctory, and always wanted to go home and rest after the play. He was the one who brought out the playful spirit buried in Uncle Li's heart.

Niu Baiwen said: "Anyway, in our Qinyan Club, Hu Qin still can't get the role. This master Qiao Le once played with Si Xier in a play, and Si Xier smoked too much opium, and was still drunk on stage. Well. After the show, Qiao Le insisted on taking 70% of the bill, saying: "If I hadn't protected your voice, you would have shown up. The audience can't hear your troubles. It's not because you are smart, it's because I'll cover it up for you.' Well! What kind of wrist was Sixi'er back then? As soon as he opened his voice, he was taken over by a stringer, and he has made revenge!" Niu Baiwen groaned again. Laughing: "Tell me, should I call him Boss Joe for this peeing?"

Shang Xirui also laughed, laughed for a while, and said: "Speaking of Uncle Li, I just remembered that Shuiyun Tower doesn't have a huqin to suit me! Uncle Li is gone, so that one can't stand up, and some literary venues have to I'll play the violin! Master Niu, you know a lot of people, please recommend one to me?"

Niu Baiwen patted his chest as a guarantee: "It's no problem. You are generous, and you are afraid that you won't be able to hire a good one? You should be so happy to get three achievements under your hands!"

Shang Xirui was quite proud of being flattered, leaned back in his chair, picked up the teacup and brushed aside the foam, took a sip in style, then caught a glimpse of Cheng Fengtai a few steps away. He turned his head and glanced at Cheng Fengtai, Cheng Fengtai looked at him with a smile, he shook his head indifferently, pretending to be hesitant. Niu Baiwen noticed it, looked back, stood up quickly, cupped his fists and said, "Hey! Second Master Cheng! I haven't seen you for a while. How long have you been here? Sit down, sit down!"

Cheng Fengtai returned the salute to him, sat down and smiled and said: "If I don't stand and listen to the wall, I won't know these stories about Liyuan anywhere!"

Niu Baiwen laughed and said, "What are you talking about! You still need to stand and listen to the wall? Boss Shang can treat you differently with this vision. You are really good at buying theater tickets!"

Cheng Fengtai smiled happily when he heard this, and glanced at Shang Xirui: "Really? Boss Shang treats me differently?"

The scene was changing on the stage, there was nothing to see, Shang Xirui stared at the stage intently, pretending he didn't hear anything, while Cheng Fengtai just looked at him and just smiled. Niu Baiwen is an old man in Liyuan, and he has already seen that the two of them have some differences, so he had a few gossips, and he left the backstage in a hurry. As soon as he left, Cheng Fengtai moved over and sat next to Shang Xirui, Shang Xirui snorted, Cheng Fengtai quietly put his hand on his thigh under the table, and patted twice: "Did you hear, Master Niu Praise me for being a prostitute."

Shang Xirui glanced at him: "Straighten your tongue before you speak!"

Cheng Fengtai said: "Oh, I'm sorry, Shanghai people have a bad tongue and offended the boss. 'Piaoxi'! 'Piao'! Right?"

Cheng Fengtai speaks Mandarin well, and there are always few flaws. People who don't know the basics can guess that he is originally from Shanghai. Shang Xirui knew he was not serious, he was just kidding around! He shook his legs but failed to shake his obscene hand away, instead he moved up more and more, Shang Xirui let out a hey, then clicked his tongue and said: "You're late again today, Why did you go?"

This is what should come, Cheng Fengtai was very prepared, and said with a joyful smile, "I'm going to gossip with Boss Shang! Something happened to Fan Lian, do you want to hear it?"

Don't watch Shang Xirui's play either, his face glows brightly, he turns his butt around gloatingly: "Oh! What's wrong with him! Tell me!"

Cheng Fengtai lowered his voice and said: "He is going to be a father!"

Shang Xirui was stunned for a moment, then said in surprise: "Oh! He's not married yet, wouldn't that be an illegitimate child? Who is the child's mother?"

Cheng Fengtai said: "I can tell you secretly, that Miss Zeng in Dongjiaomin Lane, you still pluck her hair."

Shang Xirui was not ashamed of his rudeness, he frowned and said: "That's not good, why is that kind of woman!"

Cheng Fengtai smiled in surprise: "I can't tell, Boss Shang will still choose people's backgrounds!"

Shang Xirui said: "That's not good. It's not good to show your breasts halfway in front of men. Xiaolai is also from a low family background, but Xiaolai is very good, a good wife and mother." His attitude towards women is still feudal and old-fashioned , I can't understand women's sexy and unrestrained. Cheng Fengtai usually reads a movie magazine with pictures of Hollywood female stars wearing low-cut pajamas printed on it, and he would be ashamed and angrily scold Cheng Fengtai for "not learning well", and then throw this "dirty thing" out. In his view, even prostitutes can't wear clothes like this. A woman wearing such clothes is even more obscene than a prostitute. So he didn't have a good impression of Zeng Aiyu at all.

Cheng Fengtai said: "What do you want her to be as a good wife and mother, but she can't marry her back home. She looks good and can give birth to an equally beautiful little baby. Fan Lian is the head of the family now, and the Fan family is so particular, so I can't do it in the future." Marry a girl who was raised by a concubine, right? A well-matched first-born lady, such a famous lady, a lady, is all praised by others for her reputation, but she doesn't look very good. I think that temperament and appearance are not as good as yours in Shuiyunlou Your actor, you have spoiled Fan Lian too much."

Shang Xirui said: "Of course! We don't accept opera singers, even ugly masters."

Cheng Fengtai nodded: "Boss Shang is just handsome, so Master immediately fell in love with him, right?"

Shang Xirui said proudly: "Not only is he handsome! I also have a good voice! When my master heard me cry, he immediately paid for me!"

Cheng Fengtai smiled and said: "Yes, you are fine anywhere!"

Shang Xirui was easily praised, he smiled foolishly, shook his body, he was no longer the same as Boss Shang in front of Niu Baiwen just now. At this moment his Master Jin came up on stage, Shang Xirui immediately held down Cheng Fengtai's hand, tensed his whole body, and shouted sharply: "Stop talking!" Shang Xirui closed his eyes, flicked the back of Cheng Fengtai's hand with his fingertips to press the board, he was still trying to figure out his master's singing like a schoolboy. Master Jin sang for more than a quarter of an hour, then went off stage again, Shang Xirui didn't care to listen to other people's voices, opened his eyes and chatted with Cheng Fengtai: "I thought of the young master of the He family the year before last, it was the same thing, The girl in the same family gave birth to a son, but she didn't hide it, and everyone knew about it. Later, the child stayed and the girl let go, but no lady from an official family would marry him." Shang Xirui smiled. Delighted: "This is the end for Fan Lian!"

Shang Xirui's heart is so bad, he himself has no intention of marrying a wife and having children, and he is also happy to see other people's life affairs come to an end, and be single with him.

Because Cheng Fengtai knew Shang Xirui well, he said in a low voice without confidence: "Boss Shang also knows that having this child will have a great impact on Fan Lian's future marriage. But Fan Lian is like a man, ten or eight women can be exchanged." It's nothing to do with it, and I still care about the child. Although I haven't landed, I have it, and it's a life, my own flesh and blood, don't you think?"

Shang Xirui was not interested in the arrangement of these girly dolls, so he nodded casually.

Cheng Fengtai patted his thighs twice slowly, and said: "So, what Fan Lian means is to give this child to me to support, and to be the fourth child in our family."

Shang Xirui was shocked when he heard this, he said "Ah?" in shock, and then shouted: "What did you say?!" This sound covered the gongs and drums on the stage, shaking the audience They all turned their heads to search. Cheng Fengtai's heart trembled, he knew that Shang Xirui's face would be clouded after hearing this, but he didn't expect it to be accompanied by such a thunderstorm.

How could Shang Xirui be happy with this, he wished that the second mistress and the three young masters and the two sisters, those who occupied Cheng Fengtai's attention and time would all disappear overnight in Baodui, among them, there might be Fan Lian a place for. In this world, he has only one Cheng Fengtai, except for Cheng Fengtai, other relatives and friends are not very personal in his heart, they are just fragrant sweet potatoes and rotten sweet potatoes, the difference between whether he welcomes him or not. So what about dear Du Qi and Yu Qing? Du Qi had been in France for two years, if it wasn't for new plays, Shang Xirui would not have thought of recruiting him back to China; when Yu Qing went to Shanghai to develop, Shang Xirui still corresponded with her at first, but later he didn't bother to go back, and only I think of her when there is a corner on stage. Besides, his dear brother-in-law and Ning Jiulang, both live in Tianjin, very close to Peiping, but Shang Xirui never made a special trip to visit because of missing relatives. Shang Xirui is such a heartless person. Cheng Fengtai is different, Cheng Fengtai's relatives and friends outside his home are all human beings, and he is responsive and affectionate to all of them. This way everyone gets a little bit, and Shang Xirui gets less. Cheng Fengtai is "owned" by Shang Xirui and Shang Xirui is "one" of Cheng Fengtai, this is so unfair! Shang Xirui thought to himself, there's nothing the Second Mistress and the young master and sisters can do, they had it before they knew each other, it's a part of Cheng Fengtai's own. Now strangers drop from the sky and add one out of thin air, what is this? In the future, when the child has a fever and stomach upset, on Children's Day, at parent-teacher meetings, Cheng Fengtai will probably abandon himself to take care of the child! Even if you stay with your child for seven or eight days a year, the accumulation of ten years will be a year and a half! Why would he lose Cheng Fengtai for a year and a half because of a wild child! He won't suffer from it!

Say Shang Xirui is stupid, but he is not stupid at the moment, he thinks clearly, very meticulously and far-reaching. Who knew it would be fun to listen to gossip, gossip about it, and make yourself lose money, brows furrowed in anger, body stiffened, and he said bitterly: "No! You can't want it!"

Cheng Fengtai was afraid that he would look impersonal, so he repeatedly patted his thighs to smooth his hair, and said with a smile: "Why can't you have it? What's the problem? Throw it to the second grandma and take it with you. Just give them a living."

Shang Xirui couldn't tell him about the small account in his heart, he raised his eyebrows and refused to agree, his attitude was very firm, the two fought each other, and Cheng Fengtai's anger also flared up, saying: "Just tell the matter Say hello, don't be so energetic! Does it have anything to do with you? It's not for you to raise!"

This reminded Shang Xirui, he made up his mind and said: "Okay! If you feed me, I will feed you, if you feed me, I will promise you!"

Cheng Fengtai was amused: "You don't agree, why do you agree or not? Are you my wife?"

Shang Xirui scratched his neck and said stubbornly: "If you don't support me, I won't agree, if I don't agree, you can try!"

Cheng Fengtai turned sideways and looked at Shang Xirui intently: "I said why do you want children?"

Shang Xirui said: "I will do what you do! Call me Dad! Children's Day!"

Cheng Fengtai stared at him for a while, then laughed: "What kind of child do you want? You have already passed the Children's Day yourself. I will raise the child for you, and teach a small business owner? It depends on whether Fan Lian agrees or not." !"

Shang Xirui said: "Fan Lian will definitely agree! When he was ticketing for the theater, he told me that he envied our Liyuan family, happy and beautiful!"

Fan Lian was just talking on the scene. Some rich men envied a street performer, and some envied a sugar blower who rolled pancakes. However, Shang Xirui has a sincere heart and believes it. The two were silent for a while, Shang Xirui couldn't wait for his words, he slammed his fist on the table, there was a loud bang, all the seats turned their heads again, thinking that this table was the most noisy. Xiao Er was so scared that he hurried to refill tea.

Cheng Fengtai said: "Don't play around with me, do you know what price the child's mother offered? Three hundred thousand! Whoever wants this child will pay, you know?"

Shang Xirui's eyes widened: "Can an illegitimate child be worth 300,000 yuan? Is there something wrong with her brain? Whoever wants whoever is stupid! You are not allowed to ask for it! The Diancui from Shengping Bureau is only one Wanba!" In Shang Xirui's mind, the children are all picked up on the street, and when it's his turn to buy them, it must be at least as smart and handsome as he is, one in a million. Bought by Guangzong Yaozu, bearing the surname of Yi, it will be of great use! Zeng Aiyu's business is also very easy, the child is still in the belly, and she dares to ask for the price before she sees the goods!

Cheng Fengtai was silent for a while, sipped his tea, and said: "Okay, if you stop me like that, I don't want it. But if the child's aunt wants it, I don't care, right?"

These words blocked Shang Xirui, Shang Xirui probably knew the status of Second Mistress in the Cheng family. Cheng Fengtai can argue with him, get angry, and deceive others, but when he goes home and faces the second mistress, he is respectful and respectful, and he dare not stare at him. In Shang Xirui's heart, Second Mistress is equivalent to Cheng Fengtai's mother, the head of the Cheng family. He knew that Cheng Fengtai was outright unwilling to listen to him, but he couldn't take Cheng Fengtai's fault with Second Mistress as a banner, so he hummed angrily. After all, he was still a little silly, and finally came up with a sentence: "The child is considered to be Second Mistress's alone, not yours. You can't play with him!"

Cheng Fengtai nodded heavily and sighed: "I will spend Children's Day with you." This is the truth, in Cheng Fengtai's eyes, children will eventually grow up, but Shang Xirui should have no hope of becoming an adult in this life.

The on-stage play was over, Cheng Fengtai and Shang Xirui chatted for a while, and saw Niu Baiwen waving at Shang Xirui from below, Shang Xirui was going to serve him, Master Jin, to take off his make-up and supper. Cheng Fengtai promised to come to accompany Shang Xirui to the theater the next day, and brought him a few watermelons with very few seeds, and then went home. When I got home and saw the second grandma, I wanted to speak several times, but swallowed the words when they reached my mouth. When telling Shang Xirui about this, you can tell the truth, say that the ship capsizes, arguing and fighting are all right; when telling Second Mistress about this, you have to plan carefully, first of all Zeng Aiyu's identity is a problem, Second Mistress People who really value birth, if they know that the child's mother is a high-class prostitute, they probably won't agree to have this child. After another day, he planned to talk to Fan Lian about this matter, but Fan Lian let go of the burden on Cheng Fengtai, his attitude was completely different, and he went to meet friends for dinner lightly and happily. They couldn't find him, and finally blocked him in the office near dusk.

Fan Lian said: "Brother-in-law, come here, I just bought a new oil painting and it has just arrived. Ask Michelin to make some coffee, and we will talk in the office."

Cheng Fengtai put on black sunglasses, picked up a civilized stick and went out.

Fan Lian originally had a large study room in his own home, which was fully equipped with a sofa, phone and bookcase, which could be used as an office. But the Fan family had too many and messy families, women and children running around, it was inconvenient to receive guests, so they rented a few other buildings in the city as offices. The female secretary, Mi Silin, was sitting outside, wiping lipstick with a powder puff mirror, and talking on the phone with her friends. When she saw Cheng Fengtai, she had no time to hide, so she hung up the phone in a hurry, but she didn't look guilty at all, and stood up very generously. Greeting: "Ah, Second Master Cheng, are you here to see Manager Fan?"

Cheng Fengtai said: "Okay! I said he can't get through the office phone!" Mi Silin's eyes showed a little pitiful, Cheng Fengtai smiled and said: "Okay, let's play with you, I won't tell him."

Mi Silin gave him a sweet smile, and was about to report to Fan Lian. Cheng Fengtai held her down first, and asked quietly: "How is your manager feeling these days?"

Mislin said: "It's not bad! The oil painting bought at today's auction has arrived, so I'm even happier."

Cheng Fengtai asked: "The business is going well?"

Mislin said: "Ask me? You are the second boss, you know better than me."

Cheng Fengtai glanced at her: "Don't be naughty, be careful and I'll sue you!"

Mislin smiled and said in a low voice: "Are you asking about the business on the small account, or the business on the big account?" The so-called big account is the property in the Fan family's palace. One copy; and the small account is completely under Fan Lian's private name, and it has been an unwritten rule since the past dynasties to make a fortune by taking advantage of the shade of the Fan family.

Cheng Fengtai took off his sunglasses, wiped the lenses, put them on again, and said: "I don't dare to think about what the business on the big account has to do with me, otherwise people will say that I eat from Yue's family, how ugly it is! The business on the small account Well, seeing him playing outside every day, and paying me back the money he got, I'm going to consider splitting the bill with him twice a year!"

Mislin waved his hands again and again: "Second Master, please don't, there is no such a saying. If you suddenly draw a bill, we will be unable to move. Is the tobacco and candy business not easy to do, and you are afraid of losing money? This is just now It's the first half of the year..." Mislin said with a mysterious smile: "Anyway, you just wait and see, the end of the year will make you laugh from ear to ear. If you really don't believe it, I'll show you the accounts."

Cheng Fengtai straightened up and said: "I don't care, his temper—" Cheng Fengtai wanted to scold Fan Lian for his temper, but he didn't want to lose face to Fan Lian in front of his subordinates: "His temper, if you know it, you will be paranoid , Turn around and get angry with me, ignore me." In the blink of an eye, he smiled at Michelin: "I just believe what you say, even more than the ledger."

Misling giggled, Cheng Fengtai also laughed, and entered Fan Lian's office with a wide smile on his face. Holding a cup of coffee, Fan Lian sat on the desk half-stretched and admired the oil painting. In the painting was the river view of Venice, and the whole painting was dripping with cool waves.

Cheng Fengtai smiled and said: "Yo! The painting is not bad! It's just that it's easy to wet the bed if you look at it too much!"

Fan Lian laughed angrily: "You like to disrupt the stage, and you have bad words when you enter the door! Why didn't you come in after chattering with Michelin for a long time? Don't get close to my secretary, Michelin is doing things, not to make trouble for you Just kidding!"

Cheng Fengtai held the civilized stick under his armpit, freed his hand to pour himself a cup of coffee, and said with a smile, "I think she's very funny, every time I see her, she's always wearing lipstick. Why does she always have to wipe off the lipstick every once in a while?" One layer? Was it licked off by you?"

Fan Lian said with a serious smile: "Don't talk nonsense." Then he said: "Mislin is good, beautiful and capable, has a good abacus, and has a good personality. I am afraid that I will not be able to find such a capable person, so I dare not follow him." She is playing around casually, so don't provoke her." Fan Lian is used to being depressed at home, so he especially likes lively and cheerful women like Zeng Aiyu and Mi Silin. Even if you can't get close, it's fun to listen to them talking and laughing by your side.

Cheng Fengtai sipped his coffee, leaned side by side with him on the edge of the writing table to look at the oil painting, and said: "Come on, now I'm being attacked inside and outside by your sister and the opera singer, who else would I dare to provoke? I'll take care of this for you , you should also calm down as soon as possible, such a big Beiping is not enough for you to pick a wife? Girls marry a group every year, and the more you delay, the less you will have."

Fan Lian nodded and said, "I'm waiting for Chacha'er to grow up."

Cheng Fengtai glanced at him: "Shall I take your letter?"

Fan Lian said: "Let's talk about it, Zeng Aiyu agreed?"

Cheng Fengtai conveyed the result of the negotiation to Fan Lian, Fan Lian was almost deaf, and asked back in disbelief: "Three hundred thousand? Is she crazy? Even if she gave birth to a child of pure gold, is it worth three hundred thousand?" He put Putting the coffee cup on the table, he waved his hand: "Forget it, give her 30,000 and let her go. If you want to keep the child, I will double it and give 60,000."

Cheng Fengtai said: "You're happy now, it's late, why are you begging me to come earlier? I promised her!"

Fan Lian stared at Cheng Fengtai for a long time, turned to the back of the desk angrily, sat down and opened a document to write and write: "So it's not she who is crazy, it's you who are crazy! Why doesn't she dare to open this with me?" Conditions? It’s clearly blackmailing you! It’s the same as your house-shattering, with me, hmph... that air!" He shook his head in hatred. Cheng Fengtai simply sat down on his table, looked at him and said with a smile: "Hey, she just extorted some money from me. Tell me, how did you get hurt by her extortion? See you cry that time It’s not all just pretending to be like that, is it?”

Fan Lian said: "Why should I hurt her? I hurt myself!"

Cheng Fengtai took a picture of a stack of documents: "That's right, you see, I've never thought of being a sissy scholar like you, have I? But guess what, I saw her the day before yesterday and had a real conversation, and I also Hurt my life." He paused and said, "When I see her, I think of my mother."

Fan Lian's pen was astringent, he flicked the nib, and said, "That's good, then you can recognize her as a godmother, and be filial to her in the future."

Cheng Fengtai pulled his pen, slapped it on the table and looked at Fan Lian coldly. Fan Lian looked at him for a while, then sighed and said, "I really want the child, and I definitely want it more than she does. But she is really incompatible, if something happens, it will ruin my reputation. Give her money , really, a bit aggrieved..."

Cheng Fengtai said: "Who made you stupid! At the beginning she tempted you to get rid of the child, so don't show your face! If it's another son, she won't have an abortion and will force her to go! If you want to have a baby, you won't be able to live It’s good for you, you worked so hard to stop her, let her see through your heart, don’t blackmail you? This is still based on your worth. You lose tens of thousands of cards, and tens of thousands of watches. How much is the second painting? Italian?" Cheng Fengtai pointed at the painting on the wall with his cane, almost touching the river in Venice, but Fan Lian jumped up and grabbed it, Cheng Fengtai shook him away forcefully, and raised the stick as if to beat him: "She Don't you know your worth? En? Speaking of which, after giving birth, whether she can keep her beauty or not, it's not certain whether she can still eat this bowl of skin and meat rice. Her beauty, speech, and her future worth 300,000 yuan should be enough, right? You can be generous, just be a courtesan in a brothel, dismiss a concubine, and let things go in peace!"

Fan Lian remained silent.

Cheng Fengtai said: "Then you only have one way, you buy the murderer and kill her."

Fan Lian slowly raised his head and said, "How much will it cost?" It seemed that he really thought it was an idea. Cheng Fengtai was so angry that he knocked him twice with his cane: "You evil bastard!" Standing on the ground, he put on his glasses again: "In short, your flesh and blood have been tied up by Zeng Aiyu, as for the redemption, you can decide for yourself Bar!"

This sentence really touched Fan Lian's heart. Now he looks at Zeng Aiyu as if he was looking at a kidnapper who blackmailed her with a fetus, which is very hateful. But in his heart, there is no difference between a child inside the mother's womb and outside the mother's womb, there is always such a person. He sighed and shook his head again. He had already admitted defeat in his heart. He had been busy in and out for half a year, and his work was in vain. The money he earned was paid off to his children. It's getting old.

Cheng Fengtai pretended that he was still worried about the money, and said in a bad way: "You really can't give up the money, I'll do it." Fan Lian looked surprised, Cheng Fengtai continued: "I'll just buy a young apprentice for Boss Shang, and change my surname to Shang later. , sing for you."

Fan Lianteng stood up: "Don't be fooling around! How can this be done!"

Cheng Fengtai laughed all the way and drove the big watermelon to meet Shang Xirui.