Li Xian walked quickly through the crowd and into the damp Huxi Street.
We stopped in front of the bungalow at the very end of the alley.
Outside the bungalow, there were piles of wooden tools, including half-split tabletops and finished chairs, all piled up outside and partially covered by a tarpaulin.
Li Xian raised his hand and knocked on the door.
Xiao Liu and a few others were playing cards in the outer room when he replied, "Come another day, we're not working today."
"Open the door."
Xiao Liu San recognized who it was and quickly put down his cards to open the door. While Xiao Liu San was opening the door, Hu Zi leaned closer to peek at his cards, then turned around nonchalantly and said with a fawning smile, "Oh, Young Master Li is here?"
Those capable men under Eighth Master all respectfully address him as "Master".
Li Xian was young, but his abilities were unmatched by the rest of them. None of them minded Li Xian's cold expression and kept calling him "Young Master."
Xiao Liu San fumbled in his pocket and pulled out a cigarette, reluctantly handing it to Li Xian.
Li Xian was tall, and Xiao Liu had to straighten his arms to reach his mouth.
His voice carried a hint of caution: "Young Master Li, want one?"
Li Xian shook his head.
You're not smoking?
Xiao Liu quickly put it away, laughing even more heartily. He himself couldn't bear to smoke it, so it was better not to smoke it.
He followed Li Xian's footsteps inside.
"Young Master Li, are you here to see Eighth Master?"
"Um."
When they reached the door of Eighth Master's room, Xiao Liu San ran up and knocked on the door, calling out, "Eighth Master, Young Master Li is here."
A voice came from inside.
"Come in."
Xiao Liu San quickly pushed the door open, and as soon as it opened, Eighth Master's smiling face appeared: "Li Xian is here."
The two were about to discuss business, so Xiao Liu stepped out, thinking to himself that Young Master Li was being treated very differently. Not only was Eighth Master smiling at him, but he also knew to stand up and greet people.
Sigh, comparing yourself to others is just plain frustrating.
Thanks to the herbal tea, Eighth Master looked radiant lately. He stood up, took a puff of his pipe, and asked Li Xian, "Want to try some?"
Li Xian shook his head and said bluntly, "Let Liu Chun and the others stay for a few days."
Eighth Master didn't seem to care, sat back down in his chair, and gestured for Li Xian to sit down as well: "The cops are keeping a close eye on things, aren't they?"
"Um."
Li Xian sat in the nearest chair, his long legs taut, his back straight, and his face serene.
This behavior is really unlike that of a black market middleman. You could believe it if he were a scholar, Eighth Master. He sighed, "That's how cops are. Just be careful."
Bringing yellow goods from the outer harbor is a big business, so how could Eighth Master stop? Anyway, he's hiding in the shadows, and no matter how you investigate, he's just a carpenter who has taken on a few apprentices.
If someone does suffer, it won't be him.
Besides, he has a powerful backer, so he's very secure.
Seeing that Eighth Master was not going to stop, Li Xian frowned slightly and his tone suddenly dropped: "Eighth Master, Liu Chun and the others have been with you for many years. If things are really exposed, you may not die, but you will definitely be in serious trouble."
Eighth Master stopped laughing and listened to what he had to say.
Li Xian looked at Eighth Master, his expression calm but not intimidating: "Eighth Master, you're not afraid of the cops, but it's better to avoid trouble. If you keep a few of your men alive, you'll surely make more money in the future."
Eighth Master narrowed his eyes.
This Li Xian is truly different.
I used to think he was just a fearless wolf cub, but today I see him as a wolf that can subdue people without making a sound.
Eighth Master said in a calm tone: "Li Xian, although I introduced you to the business, you are truly remarkable. Those smugglers in Waigang specifically asked to work for you, Young Master Li. I'm afraid they won't even recognize me, Eighth Master, in the future."
His tone was full of probing and warning, but Li Xian didn't even move: "Eighth Master, if you listen to me, I, Li Xian, will give it all to you and never touch it again."
These words made Eighth Master sit up straight. His slightly chubby face drooped, and his eyes seemed to be investigating and disbelieving: "Are you joking with me?"
With such immense wealth, does Li Xian really have the ability to wash his hands?
Li Xian's brows were furrowed with a thick fog, making him impossible to see clearly, and his voice was cold: "Eighth Master, you know I never joke."
...
The weather was fine when I went out, but now it's started to drizzle, and the light raindrops have left mottled marks on the ground.
The supply and marketing cooperative sells umbrellas for 80 cents each, but you need an umbrella coupon. So many people come to look at the umbrellas under the pretext, but few actually buy them. Instead, quite a few people buy soy sauce and salt.
Because of the rain, there were even more people at the supply and marketing cooperative than before.
After Wang Ting finished shopping, she held a pile of festive items, her eyes brimming with undisguised joy.
Lu Xueyun stood to one side, grumbling about not having umbrella tickets.
Because of the large number of people, Lin Xiaofeng asked Xu Nuo to stand inside the cashier counter to avoid being squeezed.
Seeing that Lin Xiaofeng was too busy, Xu Nuo went over to help collect the money.
Xu Nuo was beautiful and had a sweet voice. Even when she was collecting money, people felt like they were basking in a spring breeze. A fat man who worked at a fertilizer factory bought from her several times, each time asking for two five-cent pieces of lard candy. On the third time, he finally mustered up the courage to ask Xu Nuo, "Comrade, do you work at this supply and marketing cooperative? Are you new here? I've never seen you before."
Xu Nuo didn't want to pay attention to him and shook her head lightly: "No."
Despite such an obvious attitude, the fat man shamelessly continued to ask, "I don't think so either. You look young, you're not a student, are you?"
Xu Nuo glanced at Lin Xiaofeng who was walking over, and was about to hand her over when she heard a slightly masculine voice.
"Comrade Xu Nuo, what are you doing here?"
The fat man recognized the voice, turned around, his small eyes widened, and he revealed a hint of flattery: "Officer Nie."
The supply and marketing cooperative was so small that everyone's attention was being openly or secretly drawn to Xu Nuo. But when they heard that Nie Wenkai was a policeman, no one dared to look in that direction anymore.
Lu Xueyun, on the other hand, glared at Xu Nuo several times with resentment.
The fat man saw that Nie Wenkai was holding a large black cloth umbrella and asked knowingly, "Here to buy an umbrella?"
Nie Wenkai nodded amiably, "Yes, it suddenly started raining, and I was worried that things would get wet."
He was holding a package in his arms, which looked like it had been mailed from somewhere else, and the seal on it was still intact.
The fat man glanced at her enviously. She was truly a rich man's son, willing to buy an umbrella for a package. He felt that he couldn't afford two lard candies. He wanted to go over and talk to Xu Nuo again, but he saw that she had already walked to the side and started talking to Nie Wenkai.
Judging from their demeanor, they must be acquaintances.
The fat man stood awkwardly to one side.
Nie Wenkai was surprised to run into Xu Nuo here, and his clear eyes showed obvious surprise: "What are you doing here?"
Xu Nuo pointed at Lin Xiaofeng and whispered, "I came to visit a friend, but it's raining and I can't get back, so I'm here to help."
Nie Wenkai held up the umbrella in his hand: "Here, take my umbrella. You can use this to go back next time."
He came specifically to buy an umbrella to cover his package, which meant it was very important. Xu Nuo couldn't possibly lend him her umbrella. She waved her hand and said, "No need. Xiao Feng has an umbrella too. I just want to wait for the rain to stop before I leave."
She glanced outside and saw that the rain was much heavier than before.
Xu Nuo disliked rainy days, and her brows furrowed slightly involuntarily, making her appear even more pitiful.
"Oh, right."
Suddenly remembering something, Nie Wenkai took out two letters from his pocket and handed one of them to Xu Nuo.
It was sent from Shanghai. The handwriting was neat, but unlike Li Xiancang's strong and vigorous handwriting, Su Zhao's handwriting was more reserved.
The letter that was handed to me had her name on it.
“This was sent by Su Zhao from Shanghai. This letter is for you. Wait for me to open the package; there are things for you inside as well.”
He finished speaking quickly, then remembered that there were many people around here who sent letters. It was a complicated matter, but fearing that others might misunderstand, he added, "Perhaps they heard that you have an exam and are writing to cheer you on."
The name Su Zhao is well-known in Lu County.
The farmers might not know this person, but those in the city have heard of him to some extent.
The chubby man who had just chatted with Xu Nuo couldn't help but speak up: "Is he Su Zhao, the provincial champion from our Lu County, the son of Director Chen?"
He remembered that Director Chen's son was studying at Shanghai University.
Nie Wenkai nodded.
Standing with Lu Xueyun and the others, Li Hong suddenly exclaimed "Ah!" and asked Xu Yan, "Was the notebook that Nuonuo was reviewing before Su Zhao's?"
Xu Yan nodded: "Yes, Young Master Su is Nuonuo's friend."
Li Hong suddenly realized: "So he's the top scorer in the province! No wonder he remembered the key points so well."
Other educated youth couldn't help but ask, "What kind of notes?"
Li Hong said, "My college entrance exam notes. Nuonuo lent them to me before, and I remember the difficult points in detail very clearly."
Others who also had plans to take the college entrance exam were tempted and asked Xu Yan, "Comrade Xu Yan, could you borrow your sister for a few days?"
The person who said this was Wei Jingxiang. When Xu Nuo was wronged by Chen Cuiping, she sided with Lu Xueyun and made sarcastic remarks.
Xu Yan said, "That's Nuonuo's stuff. If you want it, just ask her for it."
This was an excuse, but unexpectedly, Wei Jingxiang actually stepped forward, ignoring Xu Nuo and Nie Wenkai's conversation, and directly interrupted: "Comrade Xu Nuo, do you remember me? I am Wei Jingxiang, an educated youth from Luxian Village. Your sister said you have the notes of the provincial top scorer. I also want to take the college entrance exam. Can I borrow them to take a look?"
She deliberately softened her voice, speaking slowly and deliberately, her gaze occasionally shifting to Nie Wenkai, who was unpacking a package, as she looked at Xu Nuo with great anticipation.
Xu Nuo didn't remember who this person was, but anyone she didn't recognize was definitely someone she didn't know well. She folded the letter and put it in her small bag, shook her head at Wei Jingxiang, and said in a sweet voice, "I'm sorry, comrade, I've already returned the notes to them."
Wei Jingxiang had assumed Xu Nuo was easy to talk to because of her soft and cute appearance, but she was stunned when Xu Nuo refused like this: "Huh? You're returning it?"
Nie Wenkai unpacked the package.
Su Zhao might be a person with obsessive-compulsive disorder. The items in the package were arranged in a regular and symmetrical manner, with identical items in two sets, one on the left and one on the right.
Fortunately, they were all tied up in light blue silk bags, and one of them had a card on it that read: "Wishing you success in the college entrance examination."
Looking at that thing, Lu Xueyun felt a pang of jealousy.
Inside the light blue silk were several boxes wrapped with foreign letters. Lu Xueyun didn't recognize most of them, but she had seen two kinds before: foreign chocolates and biscuits, which tasted very good and were very expensive.
Xu Nuo was reluctant to accept it, but Nie Wenkai simply put it in her arms and said casually, "I told you, Su Zhao must have come to cheer you on."
The other one was for Chen Qingxia. Nie Wenkai wrapped the letter and the outer seal together, and turned his head to see Wei Jingxiang standing beside him watching him.
He asked curiously, "Comrade, is there something you need?"
Wei Jingxiang reached up and tidied her hair, her head slightly lowered, revealing what she considered her most beautiful angle. She mimicked Xu Nuo's tone, saying, "Hello, comrade, I'm Wei Jingxiang, an educated youth from Luxian Village. I'm also taking the college entrance exam. I heard that Comrade Xu Nuo has Comrade Su Zhao's notes, so I wanted to borrow them, but..."
She bit her lip with some difficulty and looked pitifully at Nie Wenkai: "Comrade Xu Nuo said he can't lend it."
Nie Wenkai frowned, and Wei Jingxiang was overjoyed, thinking he could help her. But Nie Wenkai said, "Then you can use your own notes to review, comrade."
Wei Jingxiang: "..."
Nie Wenkai pointed to the pile of things and asked Xu Nuo, "Comrade Xu Nuo, do you need me to help you carry them back?"
A sound rang out, like the gentle patter of raindrops on this rainy day.
It has a slightly cold and somber feel.
"Comrade, I need to buy an umbrella."
The man looked at Xu Nuo and handed her the money.
His face was stern, his black clothes exuded nobility, and he held a black umbrella to the ground in his palm.
It's such a beautiful scene.
Xu Nuo was surprised to see Li Xian here. A hint of surprise flashed in her big eyes. She smiled at him and reached out to take the money.
Lin Xiaofeng said, "One umbrella ticket."
Oh right, I need tickets.
Xu Nuo then looked at Li Xian with a sweet smile, her fair palm outstretched towards him: "Comrade, I need an umbrella ticket."
She herself didn't realize that although she was still smiling, this time, her smile unconsciously carried a hint of coquetry and intimacy.
Li Xian's expression remained unchanged, but his Adam's apple bobbed slightly.
"I...I'll go change."
After saying that, he put the umbrella on the cabinet next to him, turned around and plunged into the rain.
Half an hour later, Li Xian, looking like a drowned rat, reappeared at the supply and marketing cooperative and handed the sales clerk, Xu, an umbrella voucher.
The saleswoman took it with a businesslike expression and asked him with a smile, "Sir, would you like another towel?"
Li Xian looked at her smiling face and nodded blankly, "Yes."
Xu Nuo smiled and handed him a bright red double happiness towel.
If the times allowed, she would have smiled and said, "Welcome to come again next time!"
Xu Nuo thought Li Xian was in a hurry to buy an umbrella because he had something urgent to attend to, but to her surprise, he didn't leave after buying the umbrella. He stood at the door like a wooden stake, holding the towel she had picked out for him in his hand.
He was soaking wet and didn't even bother to dry himself off.
Xu Nuo whispered to Lin Xiaofeng, "I have to go back now."
Lin Xiaofeng looked outside: "The rain hasn't stopped yet."
Xu Nuo stared at the tall figure from behind and was surprised to see his ears twitch.
Xu Nuo couldn't help but laugh and said to Lin Xiaofeng, "I suddenly remembered something."
"Then take my umbrella."
"This rain is sure to stop, I'll just buy one myself."
Lin Xiaofeng shoved the umbrella into her hands: "Why waste this money? You can take it. I won't be without an umbrella later."
Since she was being so kind, Xu Nuo didn't refuse. She pulled Xu Yan aside and whispered, "If it's still raining when you leave, ask Xiao Feng for an umbrella. I'll give her the tickets next time."
Xu Nuo opened an umbrella, carrying her things, and walked into the rain.
She deliberately turned into a small alley, and sure enough, footsteps immediately sounded behind her.
A larger umbrella was placed on top of hers, and the man reached out and took the things from her arms.
Xu Nuo looked up, about to speak to him, when suddenly a pair of hands, damp with moisture, cupped the back of her neck, and his lips pressed down on hers without warning.
Two umbrellas were there; the larger one covered her securely, while the smaller one had fallen to the ground and was being spun around by the wind.
The rain is still drizzling, and I don't know when it will stop.
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