Findings at sea

In the winter of 1930, in the French Concession of Shanghai, the Champs Pavilion in the side courtyard of the Bai Mansion.

It was the middle of winter, the sky was freezing, the north wind was howling, and the ground was still covered with a layer of snow.It was not yet the third watch, and the small window was already filled with orange light, and the maids and servants were in a mess, and the squeaky calls drowned out the sound of the watchman outside the wall.

"Master Bai, don't move around, come down quickly!"

"Yeah! Be careful of hurting!"

The old mother raised her arms high, and the little maid next to her also had a terrified expression on her face. She said in a soft voice, "Master Bai, take it easy and let the butler help you down. Stepping on the snow with bare feet will hurt you." Chilblains."

Looking up, I saw a tall man standing against the wind on the roof. In the dimness, he could see that his skin color was almost the same as the snow on the roof, and his feet were exposed to the cold wind. In a white satin brocade dress, he looked down at the noisy crowd in the yard, turned his slender waist, pointed at the old mother with two fingers half exposed in the sleeves and sang, "What sin did I do in my previous life?"

The old mother looked at him with tears in her eyes, and said, "Good boy, you come down first", and then she couldn't cry for a while, she covered her face and began to cry, "You committed a crime!"

The butler had already moved the ladder over and put it on the base of the wall, ready to climb up, but the person on the roof gave him an angry look, a little excited, "Don't come over! If you come over again, I'll jump off!"

He made a gesture to jump down, but the housekeeper hurriedly stopped his movement, looked at him helplessly, and suddenly heard a knock on the door, and he trotted to open the door.

The vermilion lacquered wooden door of Xiaoqiang was pushed open, and a man walked in.Under the woolen overcoat with open shoulders is a black suit, and the tie of the shirt has not been tied in time, so it should be in a hurry.He took off his thick woolen top hat and handed it to the butler beside him, revealing his tough cheeks, stern eyebrows, narrow eyes, and a small ecstasy mole at the corner of his eyes, which slightly diluted his toughness.

The butler hurriedly took the hat and beckoned him to go in, bowed his waist and bowed, "Second Lord, you are finally here."

The visitor's name was Ji Xingtang, the well-known Second Master Ji in Shanghai.Ji Xingtang was resting in his mansion, and only after answering the phone did he realize that there was such a big mess. His deep and mellow voice came, "How is the eldest brother?"

The butler walked beside him and led him into the courtyard, and replied, "Young Master Bai smashed his forehead and even stabbed him. The doctor he invited is treating the wound in the inner room. Young Master Bai I was afraid that I was frightened, so I climbed to the roof by myself and refused to come down, and the servants were afraid that he would jump down due to sudden hysteria, and they all stopped him from below, and I really don’t know what to do if you don’t come.”

Ji Xingtang walked in quickly, bypassing the rockery pavilion next to the corridor, and there was a noise in his ears. He took a breath and walked to the base of the wall. When everyone saw Ji Xingtang coming, they all said hello, second master.

When the people on the roof saw him coming, they no longer talked and sang, but just raised their faces and smiled.The cool moonlight illuminated his face clearly, his willow-leaf eyebrows were full of affection, his skin was as white as if it was shining brightly, as if the skin was not flesh and blood but white snow.

The noise in the yard died down, only the rustling of snowflakes and lanterns remained.

Ji Xingtang took the lamp from the maid beside him with one hand, stretched out his other hand to him, and said in a soft voice, "Zixuan, don't mess around in the middle of the night, be careful to hurt yourself, and be obedient."

Bai Ruoyu kept the corners of his mouth curved, and started to walk slowly, patting the tiles. Without Danqing water sleeves, he also shook his sleeves as a gesture, and sang sadly, "What sin did I do in my previous life? It is better to die than to fall into the fire pit."

As soon as he left, the servants below followed suit, lest he accidentally fall down.

Ji Xingtang followed his footsteps, and said with relief, "You have to come down first to complain about the big and big Qiu Tian."

"Okay, you can sing "Oiran" for me, but I stripped your clothes, threw away your shoes, and threw you into the snow, and you still want me to be a millionaire? What's the matter, young master?"

"Zhan Hua Kui" sang: It was the cold winter, and the snowflakes were flying, and the squire and bully Mr. Wan Qi forcibly took Wang Meiniang, a famous prostitute from the West Lake, into the boat, stripped her coat and shoes cruelly, and left her on the Shijin pond.

Everyone turned their heads following the cold voice, and saw a bloodstain on Bai Xiaohong's head that hadn't been bandaged yet, and the wound on his abdomen was covered with a bandage and a wide nightgown. He looked handsome, delicate and gentle, but had a pair of sharp eyes Falcon-like eyes stared directly at Bai Ruoyu, and also at everyone.They all said hello to Master Bai again.

Bai Ruoyu was so frightened by his voice that she lost her mind, she slipped and fell off the eaves, a group of people rushed forward screaming, Ji Xingtang hurriedly threw the lamp in her hand into the snow, stretched out her arms to catch it, The man swayed and fell heavily into his arms, and all the people in the yard let out a sigh of relief.

Bai Xiaohong raised the corners of his eyes slightly, staring at Ji Xingtang domineeringly and restrainedly.

Ji Xingtang looked at Bai Ruoyu in his arms, his eyes were extraordinarily clear and beautiful, but now that his eyelashes were drooping, he couldn't see clearly, he was frightened, curled up without saying a word, trembling.Ji Xingtang handed Bai Ruoyu to the housekeeper and took her to the room, and asked the maids to follow her to serve her.

Ji Xingtang took off his coat and put it on Bai Xiaohong's shoulders, and said in a whisper, "Brother, your injury..."

Bai Xiaohong turned around and walked back, "It's okay."

The two entered the room and sat down on the sofa.Bai Xiaohong crossed his legs and sat on the sofa, with one arm stretched out and resting on the edge of the chair, with a cigar between two fingers in one hand.

Ji Xingtang poured him a cup of hot tea, and grabbed the handle of the pot to add water to his own cup. He said, "Brother, Ruoyu is only 17 years younger. She is weak and short of breath, so she can't stand it."

Bai Xiaohong exhaled the lingering smoke, and raised the corner of his mouth, "Could it be possible that I invite him back to be his filial son and grandson like a Bodhisattva? He can't stand the trouble? Stabbing me once today and twice tomorrow, can't be guaranteed three times and six holes Give them all to me."

Ji Xingtang knew that her eldest brother was a respectable figure in the Tao, second only to gang tycoon Du Jinming.Bai Xiaohong has always been ruthless, merciless and resolute. He does not allow anyone to poke him in the back, and he does not allow anyone to break ground when he is too old. Tonight, Bai Ruoyu really made him lose face.

He just took a sip of tea and said lightly, "It's really not possible, let him live with me."

Bai Xiaohong raised one leg, turned his toes towards Ji Xingtang, looked down with disdain and amusement, "Oh? Why can't I come back when he stabbed me? Maybe I got stabbed in vain."

Ji Xingtang's eyes were filled with turmoil, but he was speechless, "Brother..."

Bai Xiaohong laughed at him, "I still think of myself as a young man in Yin Wang's mansion, man, I just can't change the problem of being a bitch."

Bai Ruoyu's original name was Yin Zixuan, and she was the charming young master of the prince's family in the late Qing Dynasty. He should have no worries about food and clothing, but the [-] GM changed the roots of the emperor, and the palace was exhausted. .There is a saying that life is precious and life is cheap, the young master's skin is delicate and beautiful, Ruoyu is living among the people and learning opera from the troupe.

Ji Xingtang was five years older than him. Both his parents worked in Prince Yin's mansion. He grew up with Ruoyu. When his father died, Prince Yin paid for his father's coffin to be buried. Separate and live in the city with his mother.There is brotherly love as well as master-servant love, the friendship and bond between him and Ruoyu is nothing more than that, there is no dirty idea, there was no before and there is no now.

It was also due to fate. When he was 12 years old, his mother was ill and left him. He met Bai Xiaohong, who was 17 years old. It's only been a year since they reached such a position, needless to say brotherhood.

Growing up in the market, Bai Xiaohong likes whatever the upper class likes, don't throw money at the opera singers, he also praises the opera singers, spending as much money as he can.This caught Bai Ruoyu, who had just appeared on stage in Peking, and Bai Xiaohong set up a Tianchan stage for him opposite the busiest Shanghai Grand Theater. He built an elegant champagne pavilion next to the white mansion, so that he could hide his beauty in the golden house.

He has favored many people, and when he gets tired of playing, he spends money and doesn't owe anyone. The actors and actresses around him come and go like a stream.It’s just that this Bai Ruoyu is a hard rock. When we met for the first time, Bai Xiaohong still had a gentlemanly demeanor. He handed over his hands and behaved politely, saying that both of them had a relationship 500 years ago. Bai Ruoyu knew his identity but he was a newborn calf who was not afraid of tigers. He didn't even look at him, just said, my surname is Baibai on the surface, and your surname is Baihei on the inside.He still wanted to pester him, but Bai Ruoyu threw all the gold, silver, soft jewelry and jade on his straight suit, but Bai Xiaohong was annoyed, and without a word, he tied him to the Bai mansion and wrapped him in a golden cage inside.

When Ji Xingtang got the news, he tried to rescue Ruoyu over and over again. He could figure out what Bai Xiaohong wanted to do with his toes, but Bai Ruoyu refused to let him die, and even stabbed someone today.There is nothing he can do if the elder brother refuses to let him go, not to mention that he is the elder brother who has been stabbed and blocked by himself, and he has to give up faintly when he encounters a wall every time.

Ji Xingtang felt uncomfortable being exploited by Bai Xiaohong, and didn't want to make excuses, so she left to see Ruoyu without saying a word.

Bai Ruoyu wrapped herself in a quilt and curled up in the corner of Simmons' bed, with her head drooping and resting on her knees. The nurses and maids brought him hot water to wash his feet, and he refused to wear warm clothes.The old mother persuaded her earnestly, "Master Bai, if you freeze, we won't be able to compensate you if you lose your life!"

"You all go out first," Ji Xingtang walked in the door.

The servants all sighed and retreated when they saw the second master coming, Ji Xingtang ordered the old lady to cook some hot porridge.He sat down beside the bed, gently pulled Ruoyu's wrist, "Zixuan?"

Feeling the warmth from the cold wrist, Ruoyu raised his head and saw that Ji Xingtang was alone in the room, his tense body stretched a little, he lowered his eyes and sobbed in a low voice, "Brother...Brother...I stabbed him to bleed...I . . . I almost killed him . . . "

Ji Xingtang stroked his hair lightly, and said with a smile, "If you can kill people with a single knife, if you are fooling around on the point of a knife, wouldn't you have been fooling around for so many years?"

Ruoyu held Ji Xingtang's hand tightly, shook her head and said, "Brother...I don't want to stay here, I want to go back to Beiping to find my master."

Ji Xingtang wiped his tears with his hands, and said with a smile, "What's the matter, I will send you back if you want to go back. Besides, there are many drama masters in Shanghai, and they don't dare to offend me if I send you to learn from a teacher." If you don’t want to sing anymore, it’s not difficult to help you start a family and start a business. Whatever you say, you can do whatever you want.” He gently shook his head with his fingertips, and his tone was a little helpless, “Zixuan, you are here Well, at least people outside won't come to make trouble. I'll go to my elder brother and say, you stay safe and I'll pick you up when I'm all settled. "

Ruoyu broke into tears and laughed, God treats him well, it's just a matter of when he can get out of this white mansion, but Ji Xingtang is at ease with him.He rolled up the quilt and said, "It's extremely cold, and the soles of my feet are so cold."

Ji Xingtang got up and left the bed, leaned over to bring hot water, and waved him over, "Soak in hot water and your feet will be warm."

Ruoyu pouted, "I don't." He stretched out his foot and touched Ji Xingtang's stomach, "I used to warm my feet like this when I was a child."

Ji Xingtang had nothing to do with him, so she unbuttoned her suit jacket and cotton jacket, lifted up the hem of her shirt, and Ruoyu stuck her feet in his warm arms through the vest, not honestly sticking to his toes. Rubbing back and forth between his waist and ribs.Ji Xingtang felt a bone-chilling chill, but he didn't get angry. When Ruoyu was a child, he lay on his side on the bed and curled up, with his little hands and feet sticking to his stomach and tickling him back and forth.

Ruoyu was wearing a thin water jacket with bare feet, pillowed on a goose down cushion and covered with a silk cotton brocade quilt, lying reclined on the bed, keeping her feet warm in Ji Xingtang's arms, Ji Xingtang looked at his long and dense eyelashes, and smiled Said, "Don't make such nonsense next time, if the elder brother comes again, please call me first."

Bai Xiaohong was leaning against the door frame with the eight-treasure porridge that the nanny had just cooked, and said a word out of nowhere, "You dare to touch my people."

Looking back, Ji Xingtang saw his elder brother's cold eyes staring at Zixuan, he got up slowly and stuffed Ruoyu's feet into the bed, walked towards Bai Xiaohong while arranging his clothes, took the porridge bowl and said, "I'll come."

Bai Xiaohong folded his arms and looked at him from bottom to top, snorted and turned his gaze to Ruoyu, "Second Master Ji lifted up his clothes to warm the actor's feet, you really have face. You don't like wearing shoes, do you? Tomorrow I will find someone to cover your room with red felt and then a woolen carpet. You can go barefoot as long as you want. You don’t like wearing clothes, do you? Put heating in the room for you. You can light up whenever you want."

Ruoyu wrapped the quilt tightly, closed his eyes and fell asleep, he didn't want to look at Bai Xiaohong, this domineering and domineering man.Ji Xingtang put the porridge bowl on the bedside table, Ruoyu didn't want him to be in trouble, took the porridge bowl under the watchful eyes of the two, drank it without saying a word, wrapped the quilt on her back and fell asleep.

Ji Xingtang turned off the lights, and the two left the room one after the other.

After walking in silence for a while, Ji Xingtang said, "I wanted to talk about something tomorrow, but I just happened to talk about it today."

Bai Xiaohong nodded.

"Something happened to the old man. Sister Xiang is looking for help everywhere."

The old man Ji Xingtang talked about was their master Du Jinming, and Sister Xiang was Mrs. Du.As early as the end of the Qing Dynasty and the beginning of the Republic of China, the power of gangs in Shanghai spread widely, and the "Four Gangs of Huangpu" became famous. It was a gang headed by Du Jinming, Lin Jichang, Mu Rusong, and Ye Zhen. The latter three started after their prosperity. To clean up the whitewashing, Lin Jichang started the medicine business, Mu Rusong let go of the mine, Ye Zhen recruited a party-state official, and only Du Jinming was still running a casino and doing underground smuggling business.He has three major gaming tables in his hand, Huangyuan, Haoguan, and Xinding. Huangyuan belongs to him, and the rest of the gaming tables are distributed to his two proud disciples. Haoguan is managed by Bai Xiaohong, and Xinding is managed by Yan Zhaoling.The three forces dominate the French Concession in Shanghai, cooperating with each other and restraining each other.

Bai Xiaohong asked, "What happened?"

Ji Xingtang said, "The old man and Su Shaoning, the eldest son of the governor's family in Zhejiang, went to the Shanghai Grand Theater to listen to Yulan Chun's opera. Su Shaoning booed Yulan Chun and was beaten by the old man. She's in prison, and Sister Xiang hopes that we will find a way to rescue him."

"The old man is a person who can eat both black and white." Bai Xiaohong was a little curious, "Yulanchun? The old man fell into her hands."

The eyeliner sent by Ji Xingtang clearly explained the reason of the incident——

Du Jinming occupied Yulanchun long ago without telling Sister Xiang.That day when Su Shaoning invited Yulanchun to sing in an opera, it happened that she had a slight fever and knew that Su Shaoning's power was no lower than Du Jinming's, so she had to go on stage sick.Yulanchun entered the stage from behind the curtain of the "Outstanding General", flicked her water sleeves, and moved to the center of the stage, trying to kick the drapes on her shoulders to her shoulders, but failed to do so even three times.Everyone knew that Yulanchun was Du Jinming's supporter, Su Shaoning deliberately found fault and booed, phew--ok--little darling is really good at it!Just this sentence made Du Jinming feel embarrassed, Du Jinming was so angry that he slapped Su Shaoning on the cheek with his hands, and cursed angrily: "Damn it!"In Shanghai, someone dared to shit on my head, how did I let him swallow it!With a wave of Du Jinming's hand, local ruffians and market scoundrels swarmed up, and Su Shaoning was beaten alive.Only after the beating did he know that Su Shaoning was the eldest son of the Zhejiang warlord, how could he let his son suffer in vain, so he ordered Du Jinming to be imprisoned.

After hearing this, Bai Xiaohong thought it was no big deal. This kind of thing happened frequently in Shanghai Bund. He said calmly, "The old man did it to himself. I'm sorry for Miss Xiang."

Ji Xingtang asked, "Then, should we make the move, or should we leave it to Yan Zhaoling?"

Bai Xiaohong said, "Of course we have to make a move, not only to do it, but also to do it beautifully." He turned to Ji Xingtang and said, "I remember that Second Master Su still owes our casino a whole lot of debt."

"Yes, Su Shaojiu left the French Concession and didn't return to his hometown. Eyeliners say that he is now gambling in the British Concession."

"Just start with him and let you do it."

Ji Xingtang was a little hesitant, not because he was afraid that things would be messed up if he was unable to do so, but because if he left, there might be another trouble at Ruoyu's place, so he tentatively said, "Brother, the British and French concessions have never negotiated with each other. To be afraid is..."

Bai Xiaohong snorted and patted him on the shoulder, "Second Master Ji, you can eat well, don't give me a sloppy eye." He pointed to the scar on his forehead, "Here was bled by Ruoyu's baby. character, what should I say when someone asks me?”

Ji Xingtang simply told him clearly, "Brother, for the sake of my life and death with you, don't make things difficult for Ruoyu."

Hearing this, Bai Xiaohong grabbed his neck, slammed his back against the wall, clamped him tightly, and hid a knife in his smile, "You also know that he and I have been together for ten years, and he, Bai Ruoyu, was with you. How long has it been?" Bai Xiaohong grabbed his collar and yanked it, two shirt buttons fell off, and a tooth mark appeared on Ji Xingtang's shoulder. Bai Xiaohong pointed to the tooth mark and said calmly, "Do you still remember?" Is it? I said earlier that with this poke, you are mine. If anyone dares to touch you, I will chop him up and throw him into the Huangpu River to feed the fish. What's wrong with you, Second Master Ji, when I talk like you are farting? "

Gritting his teeth, Ji Xingtang pushed Bai Xiaohong back staggeringly. He lowered his head and lowered his eyes to straighten his collar, "Brother, I said it was impossible, it is impossible for you, and it is even more impossible for Yu Ruoyu. Don't make wild guesses. Spit your anger on Ruoyu."

Bai Xiaohong approached aggressively again, "Making speculations? You are not the dog of the Yin family, why should you treat Yin Zixuan well? What did you do just now, does he deserve it!"

The reason why Ji Xingtang is famous in Shanghai at a young age is that apart from ability and means, the world values ​​the word "righteousness" most, which is also the belief of the Qing Gang.The Marquis of Huaiyin also did his best to the old lady, and left behind a beautiful story, not to mention that Prince Yin had the kindness of burying his father, and he should repay Yin Zixuan for both affection and reason.Ji Xingtang raised her head and confronted him without dodging, "I'm not your dog either, why can't he if you can!" Realizing that he had gone too far with his elder brother, he let out a sigh and left sideways, and said calmly, "You don't want to Forget it, if something happens to Ruoyu, it will be a clean break."

"You should know my methods."

"I'm going to hell with him."

The two of them broke up unhappy, Ji Xingtang left the door of Xiangxie Xiaolong, Bai Xiaohong was going back to the Bai mansion, he walked past Ji Xingtang, and sneered, "I really dug my own grave and lured wolves into the house..."

very long