Shanghai morning

After the riot, Xiaotai not only lost his job at the dock, but also was always worried about being arrested by the police. The Japanese seem to take this matter very seriously, saying that it has something to do with the revolutionary party, and all the workers who were imprisoned tortured.Wang Yao was very fortunate to meet a reasonable policeman that day, perhaps because he was also from Peiping who lived in the concession, the young policeman let them go.

Two days later, Xiaotai, who had not yet recovered, decided to leave Shanghai and go to Nanyang to join his uncle.Xiaoyue is very worried about crossing the ocean. She is from the mountains and has never been on a boat when she grows up.Xiaotai comforted her: "Taking a boat is much easier than going by land, and it's faster, so you don't suffer a lot!" But everyone knows the dangers at sea.

Xiaoyue didn't express any objection. The past few years of acquaintance with Xiaotai was the best life for her. Although she was poorer, she always had something to look forward to.Xiao Yue said: "It doesn't matter, anyway, I will follow you, we will live together wherever we go."

On the day of departure, Xiaotai still had a bandage on his head, and his face was worryingly pale.Wang Yao insisted on sending them to the pier, but strangely, Ivan also insisted on following, and helped Xiaotai carry the heaviest luggage by the way.Wanwan and Xiaoyue whispered girls' whispers all the way, almost crying while talking.

"Old Wang, don't worry about us," Xiaotai bid farewell to Wang Yao on the crowded pier, "There are many people who go to Nanyang to beg for a living. It’s a bit bitter, but it will definitely get better in the future.”

Wang Yao nodded, pressed Xiaotai's shoulder and said, "You two have a good life, and don't forget to take care of me when you get rich in the future." Even so, the bitterness in the hearts of several people is not reduced by half.

Xiao Yue couldn't help crying, the sobbing sound from her beautiful voice would fascinate even the gods: "Brother Wang, don't forget about us!"

"How can I forget it!" Wang Yaoqiang said with a smile, "Brother Wang will have to rely on you in the future when he is desperate!"

"Brother Wang, don't say that!" Xiao Yue interrupted Wang Yao anxiously, "You are a person who does great things, you will definitely live a good life!" Then he said to Wanwan: "Wanwan, you If you are promising, you will definitely be able to marry a wealthy family in the future, and then you will be a young mistress."

Wanwan burst into tears: "Miss Xiaoyue, you have to write to me!"

The ship sounded its first whistle, and people who were preparing to travel farewell to their relatives one after another, and embarked on a journey that might not return along the fragile connection between the ship's hull and the earth.

Xiaotai and Xiaoyue also had to leave. Ivan handed over the luggage to Xiaotai, and the young couple squeezed towards the direction of the ship. There was no room for them to turn around.When they boarded the deck, the two waved to where Wang Yao and the others were, but their figures were mixed with too many see-off people and it was difficult to find them.There was another siren sound, and the huge steel hull slowly left the shore of the hometown and sailed to the unknown other side of the sea.

"Go back." Wang Yao said, holding Wanwan's shoulder.

A few people walked home, and Ivan was full of thoughts: "Nanyang may be an interesting place, and I will definitely go there in the future."

Wang Yao was very disgusted with his tone: "Don't talk like you're playing! If you can't live, who would want to go to that kind of place?" But if there are other choices, who is willing to leave their hometown?If he couldn't get along in Beiping, why would he have to struggle to make a living in Shanghai?

Ivan stretched out a finger, and poked Wang Yao's forehead lightly.

"What are you doing?" Wang Yao stared at him dissatisfied.

Ivan waved the finger that poked him: "You can't be so absolute. Do you think that foreigners in the concession come to Shanghai because they can't survive?"

Wang Yao couldn't answer, but after being told by Ivan, he began to seriously think about this question: The biggest reason for Chinese people to migrate is natural disasters or wars. If they can choose, Chinese people usually stay in places they are familiar with for the rest of their lives.But foreigners are different. They come to completely strange places not because of life force, but to develop and plunder, and to get more wealth.Or, some people have no clear reason, just to take risks and try new things.Wang Yao thought of Al standing on the Sassoon Building overlooking the Huangpu River. He dismissed the property he was entitled to inherit, but was fascinated by Shanghai, a strange city.And the Russian man next to him is even more mysterious. So far, Ivan has never told Wang Yao about his life experience. Wang Yao has seen scattered manuscripts in his room, which are written in dense Russian. Ivan's purpose is obvious. Not to maintain life, so what exactly is he here to do?Wang Yao couldn't understand, is this the difference between Chinese and foreigners?

The same spot on the forehead was poked again and again, and Wang Yao, who was lost in thought, was shocked and couldn't help shouting: "Ouch!"

Wanwan next to him was unhappy: "Why do you always stab my elder brother?"

Ivan still raised the finger that committed the crime: "You lost your mind when talking to me, do you think I'm boring?"

"No, just the opposite." Wang Yao said smoothly.

"Hey? So you think it's interesting?" Ivan blinked his eyes and lowered his head close to Wang Yao's face.

"Well, there are some differences." Wang Yao could only tell the truth.

"For example?" Ivan waited for Wang Yao's answer with great interest.

"Ivan, you said you were a writer?" Wang Yao asked suddenly.

"Well, so what?" Ivan nodded.

Wang Yao expressed the question that has always been in his heart: "Why don't you go to a better job? You are strong, not stupid, and can do a lot of things. But you ran so far away from Shanghai and didn't see you What kind of thing did you do?"

The big Russian laughed: "You think I'm a slob, don't you?"

Wang Yao avoided his gaze: "A little bit."

Ivan stopped, and Wang Yao and Wanwan had to stop too.The three of them just walked to the station.

"Wanwan, you can go back by car first." Ivan said to Wanwan.

Wanwan looked at Iwan and Wang Yao distrustfully: "You two won't fight, will you?"

"No way," Ivan smiled and hugged Wang Yao, "I just want to talk about some men's topics, girls don't like to hear it."

It was morning at this time, and this area was relatively safe, so Wang Yao asked Wanwan to go home first.

"What do you want to say?" Wang Yao asked, and the tram that Wanwan was on drove away with a clanging sound.

Ivan pointed to the narrow street next to him: "Go, find a place to sit and talk."

In a teahouse, Iwan and Wang Yao chose a clean table and sat down.There are many coffee shops in Shanghai, but the teahouses are not as authentic as Beiping. However, in this westernized city, Chinese people who are stubborn about their own way of life have to make some compromises.

"Can we talk now?" Wang Yao looked at Ivan who was playing with the tea set.

Ivan calmly drank the tea in the cup: "Wang Yao, you always think that your way of life is correct?"

Wang Yao thought for a while: "There is no right or wrong, but I am living my life."

"Yes, that's it. 'Living life' is the most important thing for you Chinese." Ivan knocked the teacup on the table, which attracted the attention of others, "So you never think about what you should have in life. hapiness."

"How can you talk about happiness if you don't have money?" Wang Yao looked anxiously at the tea drinkers around him.

"This is your limitation. You are just trying to survive, but you never think about the meaning of living." Ivan poured himself another cup of tea. This kind of small cup cannot make people drink happily, but if you drink the tea like water, People are no different than animals.

"How can I have that free time? Xiaoxiang is studying in the UK, and Wanwan is still studying in a foreign school. Do I have the time to think about these useless things?" Wang Yao smiled bitterly and drank tea.

"You, you live like a machine!" Ivan pouted.

Hearing what Ivan said, Wang Yao was touched by some kind of memory, and said to himself: "He also said that..."

"Oh? Which one?" Ivan squinted at Wang Yao, not letting go of any subtle expression changes on the other's face.

Wang Yao found himself slipping: "A friend." On Christmas morning, against the backdrop of the rising sun, the blond American had said the same thing to him.

"It seems to be someone who has had a profound influence on you." Ivan looked at Wang Yao meaningfully and said, "Then how did you answer him?"

"You don't need to know." Wang Yao drank the tea in his cup angrily.

Ivan put his long arms on the table and did not give up his research on Wang Yao: "Your life is very boring, but I think you are very interesting."

"Where is it interesting?" Wang Yao felt that Ivan's words were nonsensical.

"I want to see how long you can support, every time I think you are about to be crushed, you will always come back to life," Ivan smiled, "but when I thought you were strong enough, you Crying like a child in front of me."

When his embarrassment was brought up, Wang Yao was very upset: "I was drunk that time, don't keep holding on to this matter!"

"Can you release yourself only when you're drunk?" Ivan suddenly withdrew his smile, "When he's sober, he puts everything on himself, even cheating on his sister."

Wang Yao stared at Ivan fiercely: "What nonsense are you talking about? How could I lie to Wanwan?"

"Oh? Then why didn't you tell her what exactly you were doing," Ivan's gaze became as sharp as a knife, "where did you go every night when you came home late."

Wang Yao trembled like an electric shock, and just about to refute, Ivan suddenly raised his index finger and shook it again: "No, no, no, don't tell me that you are working overtime in a perfunctory way, the same lie says Too much and it gets boring."

"What did you hear?" Wang Yao asked warily.

"I don't know anything about the situation." Different from Wang Yao's nervousness, Ivan is very leisurely, "But there is obviously something wrong, it doesn't matter if you don't want to say it, because the day when the truth will be found out is not far away."

"Don't talk nonsense to Wanwan!" Wang Yao warned in a low voice, but he immediately realized that his attitude had confirmed Ivan's suspicion.

"What can people who don't know say? You must be the one who has to tell the truth in the end." Ivan returned to his usual smile. He is an audience, so he just needs to wait for the plays to be staged in order.

Just as Wang Yao was about to reply, he was suddenly attracted by the table next to him.

"What's wrong?" Ivan asked curiously.

"I know those two people." Wang Yao's tone was unnatural.

There were two people sitting there, one was the policeman Ah Jing whom I met at the pier last time, and the other was Yun Jian, a Chinese servant of Luther's family.

Wang Yao stopped talking and listened attentively to the conversation between the two. This behavior was impolite, but he had reasons to worry: he didn't know if Ah Jing would recognize him again, even though he and Xiaotai were let go last time, But it might not be the next time, and Yunjian is very familiar with Wang Yao's appearance, if the two have contact, they always feel very dangerous.

Due to the distance, other guests in the teahouse were talking loudly, so Wang Yao couldn't quite hear the conversation between Ah Jing and Yun.Yunjian obviously lowered his voice, and he could only tell from his expression that he was a little anxious. Wang Yao noticed Yunjian's mouth shape, and he said "it can't be like this".Ah Jing's voice was higher, as if he was very unhappy with Yun Jian's words: "Then I can't do it!" In the end, the two broke up unhappy, and Wang Yao hurriedly lowered his head. Didn't glance in his direction.

It could have been passed safely like this, but Ivan knocked Wang Yao on the head at this moment, and the defenseless Wang Yao immediately choked on the tea and coughed violently.

"How can drinking tea make you choke like this?" Ivan patted Wang Yao's back hard, almost knocking him down on the table.

At the same time, Ah Jing and Yunjian looked back reflexively.

Wang Yao raised his head guiltily, facing Shang Yunjian's eyes.Judging from Yunjian's surprised expression, he also recognized Wang Yao.But Ah Jing just glanced at Wang Yao and turned away indifferently, obviously not recognizing him.

Yunjian nodded slightly as a greeting.Wang Yao nodded blankly.

The two left, and Ivan scratched his cheek: "You know each other?"

Wang Yao shook his head: "It's just familiar, I can't remember where I met it."

Ivan looked disbelieving: "Forget it, let's go back."

After paying for the tea, they left the teahouse just as the next tram pulled into the station.