dumb
As soon as the train pulled into the station, both sides were packed with people waiting to pick up passengers.
The third young master gathered the cloth bag in his hand and walked outside, pulling his hat up over his head with one hand. His head was slightly lowered as he quickly brushed past the crowd.
After exiting the station, I flagged down a chartered car. Before getting in, I slowly turned to the side and nodded to the driver, saying, "Late Spring Restaurant, please."
Autumn comes later in Minkou City. The leaves are still a delicate, deep green, the air is humid, and a thin layer of sweat quickly forms on one's forehead.
He sat in the car, quickly glancing at the street scenes on both sides, moving slowly. The forces of invasion had not yet reached this place; everything was dormant, a scene of peace and tranquility.
The rickshaw turned two streets and stopped in front of a magnificent five-story building. Four large, illuminated characters were prominently displayed on it: the Late Spring Hotel.
After paying, he went inside. The hall was spacious, and a waiter came over to take his luggage.
"Do you need a room, sir?"
"Checking in at a hotel."
He pulled out a card from the front desk and pushed it over. The person opposite him glanced at it quickly and said to the waiter behind him, "This gentleman has already made a reservation. Please take him upstairs."
The third young master followed that man away.
The woman at the front desk took out a cigarette, put it in her mouth, and with her other hand, she pulled out a lighter and lit it. In the shadows where her hand fell, the pale playing card was also ignited, sending wisps of pale gray smoke rising into the air and disappearing into the thick smoke. With a flick of her wrist, everything vanished into thin air.
The third young master followed the waiter up to the third floor and into a room in the middle.
The room was also spacious.
The waiter laid out his luggage—a cloth bag and a wooden trunk—on a rug with dark green trim.
"Mr. Yuan, please feel free to stay here. Our boss has already given the instructions."
"When can I see your boss?"
"She'll be here tonight."
The two nodded to each other, and the waiter left.
He stood alone for a while, then used one finger to lift a corner of the thin curtain and looked down. He could see that there was a gathering place for the sun just ten meters away.
Their enemies are both far away and close at hand.
He loaded the pistol and tucked it under his pillow; the helper who carried the things had just put it there so that he could escape in a critical moment.
But he was actually prepared to die. Although he still had a sense of unease, the gun was already loaded, so why should he care about anything else?
People in Minkou have a special custom for weddings: the bride's sedan chair must circle the city three times before landing at the groom's house, in order to receive the blessings and protection of strangers.
It is often not enough for people to accept only their own blessings, because they always crave the complete protection of others, and their hearts are never at peace.
Therefore, whenever someone passed by the entrance of the Late Spring Restaurant, the waiters would come out to greet them and offer them some candy. Sometimes, they would even set up a stage at the restaurant entrance to put on a show, with a small performance inside and a large one outside.
With everyone offering their opinions and echoing their sentiments, the scene was incredibly lively.
Now that the Japanese army is stationed here, people no longer come.
They often take a detour, as they are very unwilling to disturb this fragile peace.
Everyone knows the fragility of this peace, yet they prefer to pretend not to know, using their numb minds to make a living.
I walked on the balance beam too many times without realizing it, and I felt empty inside, but it was also a very unpleasant feeling.
The third young master laid out his paper and pen on the table, preparing to write a letter to send home.
Third Grandmother was not very literate, so their letters had to be relayed by his servant, a man named Liao Hai. This man had grown up with him and was utterly loyal; he would never betray him.
While he was anxious about the situation at home, he was also making plans in his mind.
Just as he unscrewed the cap of his fountain pen, dipped it in ink, and was about to write, there was a knock at the door. He put down his pen, sat up straight, and asked, "Who is it?"
"Mr. Yuan, I am the one who just came here. I'm here to invite you to dinner. It's in the hall on the first floor."
The third young master responded, slowly walked to the bedside, took the gun from under the pillow and placed it inside his long robe before leisurely opening the door.
Calling this dining room a dance hall would be an understatement.
The entire room was decorated in a distinctly modern style. Huge pieces of satin fabric in shades of purple, green, and red surrounded the hall.
In the middle, a stage was set up specifically for singing and dancing, next to which was a Western music troupe. The tambourine player and the saxophone player were both Westerners with full beards.
There was also a woman with jet-black hair, wearing a high-necked dark blue velvet dress, playing a slow piano piece.
The guests were all dressed in the very fashionable gentlemanly manners, each with their own female companion on their arm, and each one of them was exceptionally radiant.
Among these people were quite a few Japanese, all of whom sported comical, greasy black mustaches, had unusually high cheekbones, and were accompanied by women with their faces painted white, who were silently smiling with their heads bowed.
He then understood the meaning of this passage.
A gamble that had just begun was one in which they staked their lives, venturing deep into the heart of the enemy's lair. The entire army was now silent.
"Sir, your button is missing."
"Thank you." He took the silver coin-sized button, secretly stroking the stiff brown fabric on it, and looked up to meet the man's gaze.
The person opposite had changed into a new outfit, wearing a long, ivory-yellow robe that made him appear larger and gave him an air of carefree elegance.
This is quite different from the strange sights on the train.
"Please enjoy your meal." With that, he quickly disappeared again. That smear of yellow teeth blended into the bustling crowd and vanished as quickly as if it had evaporated.
That night was like a ghostly night, with the wind howling fiercely as it passed by.
The third young master of the Yuan family was sitting at the table where he had been before, preparing to write the family letter.
Suddenly remembering something, he stopped. He then gathered all the paper and pen inside, wiped his face, and lay down on the bed fully clothed.
His eyes were tightly closed, as if he were extremely tired.
Everything was silent inside.
Amplify every tiny sound as much as possible.
This silence lasted for a longer period before finally breaking down.
He felt something cold against his temple, and immediately opened his eyes and pulled out the pistol from his long robe, but it was held down by another hand.
The bedside lamp was turned on the next moment.
Following the faint light from the source, a woman's face is revealed.
He immediately realized what was happening, sat up, and shook hands with the woman.
"Yun Muchun."
"Yuan Siyuan".
The woman smiled, took a step back, and stood by the window.
"Mr. Yuan, your reaction is quick, but not fast enough."
For example, if that gun had been in the enemy's hands, you would certainly be safe and sound.
He paused for a moment, then burst out laughing.
The next morning, he sat down at the table again, as dawn was breaking.
After smoking a cigarette, he unscrewed the cap of his pen and started writing again.
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