Chapter Two: Lingering Snow at Hongkou
In the winter of 1930, the snow in Jiangcheng fell more heavily than in previous years.
Qiao Yuan huddled in the "Half a Lamp" tavern deep in the slums of Sanma Road, the half-empty bottle of strong liquor he carried in his arms.
The tavern owner, a lame old man, was squatting in front of the coal stove, coughing, sparks flying onto the cracked blue brick floor.
Qiao Yuan slammed the empty wine bottle onto the table. The remaining wine in the rough porcelain bowl rippled and flowed down the rim, forming small puddles on the table.
Just then, two pairs of black cloth shoes thudded as they stepped through the snow at the doorway.
The two thugs who entered had their cotton robes open, and black silk belts belonging to the Axe Gang were prominently tied around their waists. The scarred man's sleeves were frayed, revealing a crooked "brave" character tattooed on his wrist.
"Old man, it's time to hand over this month's tribute." Scarface slammed the iron ruler on the counter with a "bang," the rusty ruler gleaming coldly in the dim light.
The shopkeeper shakily pulled out three silver dollars, but Scarface kicked over the bench: "Trying to appease beggars? This is Japanese territory now. Our Axe Gang will protect you. You think this little bit of money is enough to settle things?"
Qiao Yuan didn't want to cause trouble, but when he heard the words "Axe Gang," the effects of the alcohol suddenly kicked in.
"Get out." Qiao Yuan's voice was like sandpaper scraping against rotten wood.
Scarface was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter: "Where did this stray dog come from, daring to meddle in my business?" He reached out to grab Qiao Yuan's collar, but the other man grabbed his wrist.
With a sharp "crack," Scarface fell to his knees in pain. His other accomplice had just pulled out a dagger when Qiao Yuan grabbed a wine jar and smashed it over his forehead, blood mixed with wine flowing into his eyes.
Qiao Yuan, standing on the scarred man's back, spat down at him: "With this paltry skill, you dare to come out and collect protection money? When I was your age, I single-handedly took on three branches of the Axe Gang. Back then, your gang leader had to bow and scrape before me. Now, even trash like you dare to run rampant on the streets of Jiangcheng?"
Scarface struggled on the ground: "Do you know who our gang leader is? You've messed with the Axe Gang, and we'll make sure you die in the Huangpu River!"
"The Axe Gang?" Qiao Yuan suddenly burst out laughing, his laughter filled with shards of broken glass. "Back in the day, even if I farted, your gang leader would say it smelled good! Any random member of the Crescent Moon Gang could chop you all into mincemeat!"
These words were like a needle puncturing a balloon; Scarface suddenly stopped struggling and instead let out a grotesque laugh: "The Crescent Moon Gang? Hahahaha! Which grave did you crawl out of? That woman disbanded the gang a long time ago! Now Jiangcheng is under the rule of our Axe Gang!"
Qiao Yuan's feet suddenly froze.
Scarface seized the opportunity to break free, clutching his dislocated wrist as he backed away: "Three years ago, that bitch Lin Tang smashed up the Crescent Moon Gang's ancestral hall just to marry Chen Kan! Our brothers were either dead or scattered, some became dogs for the Japanese, others went back to the countryside to farm! And you're still dreaming!"
The tavern suddenly became eerily quiet, with only the occasional sparks from the coal stove.
Seeing his dejected state, Scarface spat and said, "What's with the attitude? You're just a washed-up, pathetic dog!"
The two helped each other escape from the door, leaving two crooked bloodstains in the snow.
Qiao Yuan slowly squatted down and picked up half a piece of unfinished liquor from the broken porcelain shards.
The old man cowered to one side.
Qiao Yuan turned to look at him.
"Boss," his voice trembled, "what that man said... was it true?"
"She..." Qiao Yuan's Adam's apple bobbed, "...did she really marry Chen Kan?"
The old man glanced towards the door and lowered his voice: "Mr. Chen Kan is now the Vice Minister of Finance in the Japanese puppet government, and he just moved into a small villa in the French Concession last month. Miss Lin... no, Mrs. Chen is now adorned with gold and silver; I heard even the Japanese give her some respect."
Qiao Yuan was taken aback, recalling the letter Lin Tang had handed him five years ago when he woke up in the ship's cabin. The handwriting was delicate yet resolute: "When you return, the crabapple blossoms will be in bloom."
But little did anyone know that the so-called blooming flowers were actually her wedding banquet for marrying someone else.
Could a person's face really become so unrecognizable after only five years?
Qiao Yuan stood up and slowly walked to the table. After a long while, he laughed: When Bai Mu returned, the Chen family still had his back, but now he was all alone. Could this truly be karma, an inevitable retribution?
"Wine! Bring more wine!"
Qiao Yuan was determined to drink until he was completely drunk, but the shopkeeper hesitated, "Sir, you've had enough to drink today, don't overdo it..."
Qiao Yuan glared at him. "What, are you afraid I won't give you the money?" He threw down a stack of banknotes.
The old man ran over, but shook his head and said, "Sir, this is probably not enough."
Qiao Yuan was taken aback. "Isn't that enough?"
The old man said, "Sir, you have no idea how outrageous prices are in Jiangcheng right now! All you have is enough to buy half a cup of wine."
Qiao Yuan was speechless, so he could only take out another yellow croaker from his pocket and hand it to him.
The old man gritted his teeth before going to get the wine.
Qiao Yuan said, "I really don't recognize Jiangcheng anymore."
As he was wallowing in self-pity, the curtain was suddenly lifted, and a cold wind swirled in, carrying snowflakes.
Lin Tang stood at the entrance, wearing a moon-white cheongsam over a mink coat, holding an ebony-handled oil-paper umbrella. She had just stepped out of the black sedan parked at the alley entrance, and the sound of her high heels crunching through the snow made the entire tavern freeze instantly.
The boss hurriedly bent down to wipe the table, the rag making a screeching sound as it scraped across the greasy surface.
Qiao Yuan remained frozen in place.
Lin Tang took off her snow-covered gloves and elegantly folded them on the corner of the table. She turned to Qiao Yuan, revealing a section of her fair calf through the slit of her cheongsam, and the silver bracelet on her wrist gleamed coldly.
"Qiao Yuan," she said, her voice as cold as a frozen lake, "you shouldn't have come back."
Lin Tang forcefully shook off his hand, her silver bracelet jingling against the corner of the table: "I've said so much, which one do you believe?"
Qiao Yuan was stunned and immediately speechless.
Lin Tang suddenly laughed, a mocking glint in the fine lines around his eyes. "When Master Qiao was recuperating abroad, did he see the starving corpses on the streets of Jiangcheng? When the Japanese tanks rolled over the docks, did he hear the screams of his brothers? Can you imagine that in these five years, the Japanese have launched a full-scale war, and Jiangcheng has now become Japanese territory? What national industry, what business—it's all a joke. In this world, survival is more important than anything else. You don't know that in Jiangcheng now, those Green Gang bosses who were with you have either shut themselves away or fled to Hong Kong. Aren't they all just trying to survive? I disbanded the Crescent Moon Gang to show the brothers the way. Whether it's the Axe Gang or going back to the countryside, it's better than dying here."
Qiao Yuan's voice trembled: "And what about you? Why did you marry Chen Kan?"
Lin Tang turned her face to look out the window, snowflakes sticking to the glass: "Qiao Yuan, this world is too chaotic. I'm just a woman after all; I can't handle this. I can't stay here waiting for someone who might not come back for a long time. Qiao Yuan, I just need a way to survive."
Qiao Yuan was speechless.
Lin Tang stood up, straightened the hem of her cheongsam, and her pearl earrings gleamed coldly under the light. "Mr. Qiao, let's each find our own way to survive."
Qiao Yuan suddenly overturned the table, shattering the dishes all over the floor.
The boss screamed in fright, but Lin Tang remained unmoved, only coldly looking at him: "If Mr. Qiao still has any old feelings for me, then pretend you've never met me."
"Lin Tang!" Qiao Yuan grabbed her arm, his nails almost digging into her flesh. "Look me in the eyes and say it! Do you have something to hide?"
Lin Tang slowly turned her head, her gaze like a knife chilled to the bone: "Qiao Yuan, I've never seen anyone as naive as you. Have you lived too comfortably these past five years, oblivious to human suffering? Go to Jiangcheng and see for yourself. It's full of starving corpses, full of people desperate to survive. Go and ask around, find out how the Japanese carried out such inhumane massacres." She pried open his fingers, enunciating each word clearly, "Right now, all I want is to survive. Go away, and don't let me see you again."
She grabbed her umbrella, turned and walked away, her high heels shattering the porcelain shards on the ground, leaving a trail of resolute footprints.
The curtain swayed, and a cold wind rushed in, making Qiao Yuan's thin blue cloth shirt flutter loudly.
Qiao Yuan stood frozen in place, watching her figure disappear into the wind and snow.
He recalled that rainy night five years ago when Lin Tang left with an umbrella in the same way, only then her eyes were filled with tears, but now, only icy indifference remained.
Qiao Yuan let out a bitter laugh, a laugh tinged with the smell of blood.
Lin Tang got into the back seat of the car, and Ah Xiu immediately handed her a hand warmer. "Madam, your hands are all red from the cold."
Ah Xiu looked at her wrist, which had been gripped by Qiao Yuan and left red marks, with heartache.
Lin Tang didn't speak, but just stared at Qiao Yuan's dejected figure outside the window, a complex emotion flashing in her eyes.
Just now at the tavern, she almost couldn't help but tell him the truth, but she held back in the end. In the current world, everyone is trying to escape. Qiao Yuan's illness requires rest, and the vortex of Jiangcheng cannot accommodate this wounded lone goose.
"Drive." She closed her eyes, her voice trembling slightly.
The car slowly drove away.
In the rearview mirror, Qiao Yuan's figure grew smaller and smaller until it finally disappeared into the snow-covered alleyway.
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