Shanghai morning

In Jardine Matheson, almost all the employees are here, the only one who is not there is Francis, Wang Yao's immediate boss, but due to the high efficiency of the employees, the sloppy Frenchman doesn't have much work to do.Wang Yao has never understood why a Frenchman wants to work in a foreign company run by a British/Frenchman, and every time Arthur and Francis meet, they always have to make a fuss, like two fighting roosters.

Wang Yao walked to his desk, and picked up today's morning newspaper from the newspaper rack by the door. The headline on the front page was "National Crisis at the Headlines" in four big characters. After flipping through the newspaper, Wang Yao didn't see any of himself. news of interest.A busy day of work has begun again. Recently, Jardine Matheson has loaned out a large sum of money for the construction of railways. The shipping business is also good, and the banking business is booming. It is said that it will deepen its cooperation with Yokohama Specie Bank. Gold Bank has branches in Manchuria and Shan/Dong, and now foreigners are starting to look at Japan/Ben, an Asian country, with admiration.In today's China/country, the entire four eastern provinces, half of Tian/Jinwei, half of Shan/Dong province, half of Shanghai/Beach... are all foreigners domineering, so where should the Chinese go?Thinking of this, Wang Yao put down the newspaper with a wry smile.

"Yo, cute little Yao is in a bad mood today?" With a frivolous tone, there will be no one else except Francis.

Wang Yao raised his head, and as expected, he saw the handsome blond man without stubble.

Francis smiled and leaned against Wang Yao's table: "What's wrong with you? Although Xiaoyao looks beautiful in depression, I feel uneasy seeing your sad brother."

"It's nothing, it's just that the landlord is urging me to pay the rent again." Wang Yao said with a smile, unobtrusively buttoning the side of the newspaper that said "National crisis is at the head of the head".

"Sure enough, it's about money again. I didn't even eat well, so I lost a lot of weight!" Francis looked at Wang Yao's face left and right.

"I can't help myself!" Wang Yao sighed softly.

Francis was about to say something more, but suddenly he was interrupted by a yell: "Francis Bonofova! You are harassing employees again!"

The speaker was an Englishman, with a very aristocratic appearance, but his eyebrows were strangely thick. He stared at Francis and said, "How many times have I told you, don't treat me like a pervert during working hours? Make your subordinates drool!"

Francis spread his hands and said with a smile: "God testifies, I didn't do anything to Xiaoyao. I just cared about the lovely employees who are in trouble. Little Arthur, don't be nervous!"

The Englishman named Arthur snorted in disbelief and ordered Francis to go back to his place immediately.Francis shrugged: "How rude, little Arthur, you are a gentleman!" He winked at Wang Yao and turned back to his office.

"You don't need to be a gentleman with hooligans," Arthur said angrily at Francis's back, "especially hooligans who don't care about who they are!"

Wang Yao was left to face Arthur by himself, he was a little uncomfortable.Wang Yao was apprehensive towards Arthur. Unlike Francis, Arthur was arrogant and domineering, and he always spoke in an orderly tone when speaking to others.Arthur seemed to take good care of Wang Yao, and Arthur was responsible for Xiaoxiang's tuition in the UK. Wang Yao didn't know why Arthur did this, but Arthur didn't tell him the reason, maybe he didn't bother to let him know.Although it appeared that Wang Yao was under special care from Arthur, Arthur did not show any kindness towards him, and the so-called "care" was all Arthur's unilateral coercive behavior, and Wang Yao's opinion was never sought. Wang Yao just had to accept it.

"Wang Yao!" Arthur said suddenly.

"Ah?" Wang Yao was shocked and raised his head reflexively.

"Don't be in a daze during working hours!" Arthur said coldly.

"Ah, yes." Wang Yao nodded hurriedly, hurriedly opened the file bag on the table, and accidentally scattered all the papers in the bag on the ground, he bent down to pick them up hastily, not caring whether Arthur would be more angry.When he picked it up, he suddenly held the last piece of paper in one hand and handed it to him. Looking up, it turned out to be Arthur. Arthur had no expression, and he couldn't tell whether it was disgust or impatience.Wang Yao had no choice but to pick up the document in his hand and said, "Thank you." Arthur didn't speak. When handing over the paper, his fingers brushed the back of Wang Yao's hand intentionally or unintentionally.

"There is a dance at Paramount next Saturday, and you want to go with us," Arthur said suddenly.

Wang Yao is a little strange. This kind of dance seems to be casual, but it is actually a hidden secret. It is an important moment of business communication. Usually only high-level people will attend. He asked puzzledly: "But I am just an ordinary employee, and I am a Chinese. Shouldn't Francis go?"

"He will go, and you must go," said Arthur, "don't ask so many questions, I'm just telling you, do as I tell you!"

Wang Yao had no choice but to agree: "I know."

Wang Yao waited for Arthur to leave, but Arthur didn't leave. This made Wang Yao even more nervous. The ink from the dip pen in his hand accidentally dripped on the paper, blurring a black spot.

"Wang Yao, just now Francis said that you have difficulties?" Arthur's eyes fell elsewhere, not facing Wang Yao squarely.

"Uh, it's just a matter of rent, every month." Wang Yao said lightly.

"Oh, I see, I'm just curious, curious." Arthur explained superficially, while telling Wang Yao: "Don't forget about the ball, it's very important!"

Wang Yao couldn't understand Arthur's thoughts, and he didn't want to bother with that, he was relieved that Arthur left.

At dusk, after a busy day's work, Wang Yao tidied up the scattered documents on the table, wrapped his coat and scarf, and finally checked if there was anything left behind, then turned and walked out of the firm.

Tired, tired from the inside out, unspeakable physical and mental exhaustion, repeated again and again.

Passing by the Bund Park, it used to be a forbidden area for Chinese/Chinese. In the past, Article 17 of the admission regulations clearly stated that Chinese were not allowed to enter, and it was not opened to Chinese/Chinese until the [-]th year of the Republic of China.But even though it is nominally open, Chinese people are often stopped, especially those who are poorly dressed.When Wang Yao passed by, he happened to see a handsome Chinese youth arguing with the fat bearded Indian guard at the door.

"How did that dog get in?" The young man pointed angrily at the foreign woman who had just entered the park with her hips twisted coquettishly. She was leading a pug dog. The dog raised its neck as proudly as its owner, as if it was looking at the road with its chin.

"Cough! That's a foreigner's dog, I can't control it!" The Indian waved his hand.

At this moment, a group of Japanese/people stepped forward and taunted the young Chinese/Chinese. Looking at the young man who was alone, Wang Yao felt a little sad.In the concession area, there is no Chinese/Chinese position at all. Chinese/Chinese people have to pay taxes like foreigners, but they have no freedom of movement. This small park is not the only one that is banned?

Suddenly, the Chinese youth punched down the Japanese who mocked him like lightning, and then kicked up and smashed the sign with the rules for entering the park.

Seeing his behavior, Wang Yao was surprised at first, then sighed and shook his head: What's the point?If one piece is broken, they will hang a second piece, and even if there is no sign, are the Chinese really unlimited?He looked worriedly at the young Chinese surrounded by the Japanese, but soon the young man was dragged away by his acquaintances.Wang Yao noticed that there was a young man in a dark blue kimono among the group of Japanese. He watched everything that happened in front of him with cold eyes, and even had an imperceptible sneer when his partner was being beaten.Inadvertently, Wang Yao and his eyes met, and Wang Yao couldn't help shivering. The eyes of the young Japanese were like a dark abyss, as if they were going to swallow people alive, and in the brief meeting of eyes, He seems to be able to convey this message to Wang Yao: I remember you.Wang Yao felt cold all over, he had to tighten his coat and leave quickly.

Back to the small alley where Chinese people live together, the aroma of food fills the narrow space, the sewage on the ground is flowing, the smell of rancidity is mixed with the smell of food, forming the unique atmosphere of the alley, and the noisy voices of neighbors chatting, twittering, mixed with cooking pots The sound of bowls and pans makes people feel that the cold air has become warm.

Wang Yao smiled comfortably and stepped into the place that belonged to him.

Neighbor Xiaoyue sang while working: "Home mountain, look north/tears, tears stained with towel/little sister misses you until now/you are in trouble, love you deeply..."

Even though the lyrics are so sad, she sang them with a cheerful and sweet voice, which can only make people feel sad.Wang Yao thought of Beiping, the familiar Forty-Nine City, and the endless green gauze tents.

"Brother Wang, it's great that you're back. I have a few cages here. Can you help me carry them upstairs?" Xiao Yue's slim figure had already come to Wang Yao.

Wang Yao looked at the ground, there were several old boxes and cages piled up at the door, he thought Xiaoyue was tidying up the house, so he said: "OK!" Let Xiao Yue lead the way upstairs.When I was about to carry the second trip, I suddenly saw Xiaotai who lives in another alley.

"Ouch, Old Wang! You are a scholar, how can I let you do this rough work? Put it down, I'll do it!" Xiaotai rushed to snatch the cage from Wang Yao's hand.

"Tch, you don't know how to come here, why don't I ask Brother Wang?" Xiao Yue scolded Xiao Tai with joy or anger.

Seeing this pair of children bickering, Wang Yao was secretly happy, and he had already put the second cage on his shoulders: "It's okay, I have plenty of strength!" As soon as he finished speaking, he suddenly felt a lightness on his shoulders, and the cage left him. shoulders.Wang Yao was startled, turned his head and saw a tall foreigner with light blond hair standing behind him.

"Ah! When did this ghost thing come in?" Xiao Yue screamed in fright when he saw the foreigner.

The foreigner narrowed his beautiful amethyst eyes and smiled, "I'm not a ghost, I'm here to find a place to live."

"You went wrong, foreigners live in the concession." Wang Yao reminded.

"Oh? But this address is correct, I never get lost." The foreigner took out a note with one hand, and Wang Yao took it over and saw that it was really here, and it was actually the attic of his house!

"What's the matter with the landlord? When I was renting, she rented me with the attic, why would I give it to you now?" Wang Yao cried out unhappily.

Xiaoyue on one side said with a bit of embarrassment: "Brother Wang, I actually heard from the landlord a few days ago that you owe her a huge debt, and she said that it was an advantage for you not to kick you out, but she will take back the attic. If you rent it again, you won’t have to pay too much.”

Wang Yao was so angry that he didn't know what to say: "It's good to rent it to anyone, don't rent it to foreigners!"

The foreigner smiled happily, and carried the cage on his shoulder with one hand, and pressed Wang Yao's thin shoulder with the other hand: "That's the neighbor! Neighbor, don't do this kind of work in the future, it will crush you!"

That night, Wang Yao cleaned out the sundries in the attic and made room for foreigners.The foreigner had no luggage and looked like a poor man. He only had an old overcoat for the winter. Wang Yao relented for a moment and gave him his thick scarf.The foreigner was also polite, and covered his face with a scarf and smelled it: "Oh, it smells very warm!"

Foreigners say his name is Ivan Braginsky, a Russian/Russian, a wandering writer who often doesn’t have enough to eat, but he likes his own life.Wang Yao is a bit contemptuous, this kind of person is similar to a beggar in the eyes of Chinese people.With such a foreigner on top of his head, Wang Yao was very worried, and told Wanwan to be careful, and Wang Yao personally checked the latch twice when he went to bed at night.

Ivan saw Wang Yao's nervousness, but he didn't expose it. As a writer, he was more willing to watch the world from the sidelines.The Chinese is very interesting, Ivan thought, this would make a good story.