Chapter 206: An "Old Friend" from Shanghai
The opening ceremony of Tangdi Pharmaceutical was scheduled for three days later.
Invitations had already been sent out like snowflakes to all walks of life in Beijing. Business people, politicians, and even relatives and friends—anyone with a name that could be heard of received a gold-embossed invitation from "Tangdi Pharmaceutical."
This is quite a large undertaking.
The conflicting opinions, ironically, propelled the popularity of "Tangdi Pharmaceutical" to its peak.
At this moment, Su Wantang, in her capacity as "Bai Shu," was sitting in the largest private room of Tangdixuan, listening to Du Kangnian's report.
"Boss, the opening ceremony's schedule has been finalized. Although Deputy Director Qian, who is in charge of industry in the city, didn't agree to come, he sent his secretary, which is a gesture of respect. Old Chen has replied that he will be there in person. Most of the other guests will also be there."
Du Kangnian was dressed in a well-fitting suit, his hair was neatly combed, and he presented his work in a clear and organized manner, displaying the demeanor of a head butler.
Bai Zhu picked up the teacup in front of him, gently skimmed off the foam with the lid, and hummed in acknowledgment that he had heard.
Her gaze fell on the window, looking at the lush crabapple tree in the yard, but her mind was elsewhere.
The "tailor" has already taken the bait and will make her move in the next few days. At the factory, she deliberately created a false impression, waiting for the fish to take the bait. But for some reason, she felt a strange unease.
It was as if something had been overlooked by her.
Seeing that she didn't speak, Du Kangnian added, "By the way, boss, there's one more thing. This morning, an elderly man who claimed to be an old friend of your mother came from Shanghai and specifically asked to see you."
Bai Shu's hand, holding the teacup, froze in mid-air. She turned her head, her eyes flickering slightly.
"From Shanghai? What's your name?"
“He said his name was Uncle Wu, and he was your mother Bai Xiuzhu’s old housekeeper.” Du Kangnian handed over a notebook with notes. “I had my men question him a few times, and the things he said all matched up. For example, Madam liked to listen to Kunqu Opera, and her favorite was the scene in ‘The Peony Pavilion’ with the black robe. She also said that Madam had a very small red mole on her wrist. These things would be impossible for anyone who wasn’t her personal attendant to know.”
Bai Zhu's brows furrowed slightly.
My mother did have a red mole on her wrist. It was just very small and almost invisible unless you looked closely. As for listening to Kunqu Opera, that was my mother's only hobby when she was alive.
She had no recollection of this Uncle Wu, her "housekeeper."
She was young when her mother passed away. Later, the Su family was controlled by Liu Yufen and her daughter, and the elderly people around her mother had long been dismissed. Her memories of those people are very vague.
"He asked what he wanted to see me about?" Bai Shu put down his teacup, his voice revealing neither joy nor anger.
"He said that there were some belongings entrusted to him by his late wife that he wanted to hand over to you personally."
Remains?
Su Wantang's vigilance increased significantly.
Where are they?
“I arranged for him to stay in a guest room downstairs. He said he had come all the way from Shanghai and was tired from the journey, so he wanted to wash up first,” Du Kangnian replied.
Su Wantang tapped her fingers lightly on the rosewood tabletop.
The rhythm was slow, one beat after another, striking Du Kangnian's heart.
He knew that the boss was thinking.
"Have Wang Ma come over here," Su Wantang suddenly said.
"yes."
Soon, Wang Ma rushed over from the backyard. She looked much better now, and her back was no longer hunched, but the marks left by years of hard work were still there, and her temples had turned gray.
“Miss.” Wang Ma stood respectfully to the side.
In private, only Wang Ma would call her that.
Su Wantang briefly recounted Wu Bo's story.
After listening, Wang Ma's cloudy eyes flashed with a hint of doubt: "Uncle Wu? There seems to be a driver surnamed Wu by Madam's side, but everyone calls him Old Wu, and I've never heard of Uncle Wu. As for the butler, the Su family's butler was always Uncle Li back then."
Su Wantang understood immediately; it seemed this person was most likely a fake.
But how did he know those private things about his mother?
“I’ll go and meet him.” Su Wantang stood up. “Wang Ma, you come with me. Qin Zheng, have your men wait behind the screen.”
"Young Miss, I understand." Qin Zheng's figure flashed past the door and then disappeared.
...
Tangdixuan, the "Lotus Viewing" private room on the first floor.
The elderly man, who called himself "Uncle Wu," had changed into a clean gray Zhongshan suit, his hair was neatly combed, and although his face showed signs of wear and tear, he looked energetic.
He was holding a cup of hot tea, savoring it slowly.
Bai Zhu walked in, with Wang Ma following behind her.
Upon seeing Bai Zhu, Uncle Wu dropped his teacup on the ground with a loud crash, shattering it into pieces.
He was completely stunned, his cloudy eyes fixed on Bai Shu's face, his lips trembling, as if he had seen something unbelievable.
"So similar...too similar..."
He suddenly stood up, rushed to Bai Shu in a few steps, and was overcome with emotion, tears streaming down his face.
"Young Miss! You...you look exactly like Madam when she was young!"
He stretched out his withered hand, as if to touch Bai Zhu, but stopped in mid-air, his palm trembling violently.
"Old servant...old servant has finally found you!"
This performance was so sincere and moving that it would touch anyone who saw it.
Bai Shu's face remained expressionless; she simply took a half-step back, avoiding his touch.
"Are you Uncle Wu?"
"Yes! It's this old servant!" Uncle Wu wiped away his tears haphazardly with his sleeve, his voice choked with emotion.
"Back then, Madam passed away suddenly, and the Su family underwent a change of fortune. This old servant was kicked out, and I have always thought of you, Miss. Over the years, I have been inquiring about your whereabouts, and I only recently heard that you had come to Beijing, so I immediately rushed over from Shanghai!"
As he spoke, he carefully took out an exquisite sandalwood box from his pocket.
The box wasn't large, but the carving was exquisite, and it looked quite valuable.
“Young Miss, this was secretly given to this old servant by Madam before she passed away.” Uncle Wu’s expression became extremely solemn.
"She said she doesn't trust anything from the Su family. This dowry list is the last bit of money she's leaving for you, so you'll have some security when you get married. She said she absolutely has to hand it to you herself, otherwise this old servant won't have done right by her!"
He held the box in both hands and presented it to Bai Shu, his eyes filled with expectation and loyalty that made it impossible to doubt him.
Bai Shu didn't take the box; her gaze fell on Uncle Wu's face.
This face looked somewhat familiar to her.
I feel like I've seen this somewhere before.
The atmosphere in the private room became somewhat somber because of Uncle Wu's words.
Wang Ma, who had been standing silently behind Bai Shu, suddenly spoke up.
Her voice was calm, as if she were casually chatting about everyday things.
"Sir, you're from Shanghai, so you must know. My young lady, back then, loved which shop's 'Jiefen Xiaolongbao' the most?"
Upon hearing this question, Uncle Wu smiled nostalgically and blurted out the answer without hesitation.
"Of course it's the old shop at the City God Temple! When Miss was little, Madam would send me there every few days to buy it. Their crab roe soup dumplings have thin skins and generous fillings; one bite and you're filled with soup. Miss could always eat a whole basket!"
He described it vividly, with plenty of details.
But as soon as he finished speaking, Wang Ma's face instantly turned cold.
She turned to Su Wantang and said clearly, word by word:
"Miss, he's a fake."
"The lady was allergic to crab meat back then, and would break out in red rashes that were terribly itchy. So in our household, we never ate any meat. We couldn't even stand the smell of it, let alone eat it."
"boom--"
Uncle Wu's mind went blank.
His smile froze instantly, and a hint of panic flashed in his eyes.
How is that possible?
The information he received clearly stated that Bai Xiuzhu's favorite food was crab roe soup dumplings at the City God Temple!
At that moment, Su Wantang's gaze turned as sharp as a knife.
She remembered.
This Uncle Wu is the same person who helped Lu Wenbo forge Gao Jianjun's letters—a master forger who was skilled at imitating handwriting! She had seen his photo among the evidence against Lu Wenbo!
Unexpectedly, he actually dared to come to us!
"Take it down!"
Su Wantang's voice was not loud, but it carried a chilling coldness.
Before the words were finished, two dark figures suddenly darted out from behind the huge screen in the private room that depicted the "Three Friends of Winter".
He is Qin Zheng's man.
The two men moved with lightning speed; one locked his throat, while the other twisted his arms behind his back. With a "crack," Wu Bo's arms were dislocated.
"ah--"
A piercing scream echoed throughout the private room.
The "loyal servant" who was crying and sobbing just a moment ago was now being pressed down on the cold floor like a dead dog, sweating profusely and pale-faced from the pain.
Wang Ma didn't even glance at him. She simply bent down, picked up the sandalwood box from the ground, carefully wiped it with a handkerchief, and then handed it to Su Wantang.
Su Wantang took the box but did not open it.
She walked up to Uncle Wu, who was being held down, and looked down at him with a cold expression.
"Lu Wenbo is dead. Who sent you?"
Her voice was very soft, but it made Uncle Wu on the ground tremble.
"What exactly is this box in your hand?"
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