Chapter 54: Mr. Xie and Mr. Huang Part 3
Mr. Sun arrived with the young couple. After a casual exchange of pleasantries, everyone sat down. A servant came over and asked for drinks. Mr. Sun, mindful of Huang and Xie's ethnic Chinese heritage and the British-colonized Singaporean ship, ordered a bottle of whiskey. Mr. Sun then asked Xie Zeyi what he wanted for the two young ladies. After Xie Zeyi inquired, he ordered a glass of strawberry milk for each.
Mr. Sun, presumably planning to move to the United States, has been selling off his antiques. Undecided about a few of Mr. Shi's centerpiece paintings, he brought them to Mrs. Ge for her opinion.
Several paintings were neatly rolled up from their scrolls and tucked into delicate tubes. To unfold them, someone had to hold the four corners of the paintings. Mr. Huang and Qiao Maling held one, Mr. and Mrs. Sun held another, and Zhenzhen and Chu Wang also held a corner of the remaining painting for Xie Zeyi.
Qiao Maling examined them carefully for a moment. "Mr. Shi's paintings are always reliable. They should fetch a good price." She glanced sideways and saw Xie Zeyi, still frowning as he looked from one painting to another. This made her unsure of herself. "But Mr. Shi has quite a few central hall paintings out there these days..." So she smiled apologetically, "I'm not very skilled in the art, so I can't help Mr. and Mrs. Sun with their worries."
Mrs. Sun smiled and said, "It's okay." Then she looked at Xie Zeyi again, "Where's Mr. Xie?"
He smiled and said, "Just my humble opinion."
Mr. Sun said, "It's all right, please go ahead."
"This four-foot-long apricot blossom painting and the large pomegranate painting should fetch a good price, but the three-foot-long peony painting is best kept."
"Why is that?"
"After so many years of war between warlords, everyone is fleeing, and antiques don't fetch a good price. Mr. Shi is well-known, so a large central hall painting is a must-have, but this peony... If we wait many years, Mr. Sun might be reluctant to sell it to someone else."
Xie Zeyi's words were euphemistic, but Mr. Sun suddenly understood and said to himself, "Only the peony is the true national beauty! Its beauty and fragrance are graceful and elegant, yet naturally natural."
By the time Mr. Sun finished speaking, even Chu Wang had a sense of what was going on: They say antiques are valuable in prosperous times, and gold in troubled times. The country wasn't stable yet, and those who could leave, like Mr. Sun, had already fled. It certainly wasn't a good time to sell antiques. But since Mr. Sun had to sell, he couldn't sell his peonies. Since ancient times, "only the peony truly represents the beauty of the nation." Once China truly established itself, the value of a three-foot-tall peony would naturally rise.
"We had the same idea, but hearing what Mr. Xie said puts me at ease." Mrs. Sun was also pleased to hear this. She couldn't help but look at Xie Zeyi with new eyes, and looked him over and over again. "I heard that Mr. Xie grew up in England, yet he understands these old things so thoroughly. He truly has an old Western style and can handle it effortlessly. He is truly a rare talent."
Mrs. Sun's words praised him to the skies. Considering that he couldn't even recognize a few of the characters on the billboards, Chu Wang nearly spit out a mouthful of strawberry milk with laughter. If it weren't for Mrs. Ge's approval, if someone told her that "Xie Zeyi is now a charlatan," she would definitely believe it. Xie Zeyi looked at her, his expression unchanged, and only smiled slightly, "I'm still trying to learn the old things of China, and I'm far from being thorough. But my mother was indeed born into a genuine old-fashioned family."
Qiao Maling also chuckled, "He doesn't know anything else. He just learned a little bit about painting from Mrs. Ge."
After she finished speaking, Mrs. Sun asked with a smile, "Mrs. Huang, because of Mrs. Ge, has known Mr. Xie for a long time?"
Mrs. Sun only asked casually, but because she was already harboring ulterior motives, she subconsciously denied it. Xie Zeyi replied, "We are old friends."
The two responded in stark contrast: one panicked and flustered, the other composed and composed. Mr. and Mrs. Sun exchanged bewildered glances, with Huang Mark looking even more distraught.
Xie Zeyi smiled and joked, "We used to be very close, but because I missed Mr. and Mrs. Huang's wedding due to school, both Mrs. Ge and her have been mad at me for many years. This time, I didn't even come to the Qiao Mansion to report it. It's truly my fault, and Mrs. Huang's anger at me is justified."
He covered up Qiao Maling's slip of the tongue with a joke, and everyone believed his explanation. They suddenly realized what was going on and the matter was over.
Throughout the meal, Mrs. Sun constantly praised Xie Zeyi. While it was out of admiration for her as an elder, and she certainly wanted to praise Huang Mark, such praise was inappropriate for a married man. Furthermore, he had come with Qiao Maling, and painting was something he was no expert in, something his wife and Xie Zeyi were particularly adept at, which made him feel even more powerless. Huang Mark, sitting next to Qiao Maling, grew increasingly displeased because of the hints from those few words. His dignity as a man felt invisibly undermined, and he felt utterly inferior to his invisible rival, Xie Zeyi.
Mrs. Sun laughed. "It's really rare to find someone as young as Mr. Xie, well-versed in both modern and traditional knowledge, and both gentlemanly and handsome. I wonder where he's doing now?"
"I can't say I'm high school, but I just came back to get familiar with the area. I've already applied, though, and I'm just waiting to be a patrolman in the British and American Concessions after I officially graduate."
Chu Wang drank the milk and thought to himself: Oh, so Mr. Xie is a local policeman.
"So you're the inspector. I wonder if you have a girlfriend?"
"My girlfriend just broke up with me and went back to the States. It's better not to talk about the sad things."
"Oh, that girl is studying in the United States? Whose family is she from? What's her last name?"
"I'm American. My father is an East Coast businessman."
"Oh... I'm afraid Mr. Xie wouldn't be compatible with traditional Chinese girls."
"Not really. It's just that respectable people probably think I'm notorious and wouldn't allow their daughters to have anything to do with me."
"Which man isn't unfaithful when he's young? He'll settle down once he gets married."
Mrs. Sun was chatting with Xie Zeyi like a matchmaker, seemingly lamenting her own lack of a daughter ready to marry. Chu Wang's laughter was palpable, but to conceal it, he simply glanced out the window. Just then, a small boat approached, carrying five or six dark-skinned men, likely residents of the Malay area. The boat circled the cruise ship for a considerable distance, while guests from other rooms on the ship watched from their balconies. Chu Wang exclaimed, trying to distract Mr. Huang, who was standing awkwardly in the restaurant. Huang Mark, who had been distracted, was drawn in by her voice.
Huang Mark smiled at this, pulled out a twenty-cent coin, and tossed it out the window. A young man, about sixteen or seventeen, stared intently at the coin. As it fell into the water, he dove in, too, causing everyone to gasp in surprise. A moment later, the young man emerged dripping wet, holding the coin Huang Mark had thrown in his mouth.
Many people on the boat watched from their windows. After the yellow mark's move, everyone followed suit, throwing coins into the water. Yen coins, copper coins, pennies, and the boatmen picked up the highest-denomination coins. Cigars and cigarettes were also thrown in, and from time to time, the boat would collect a considerable sum of money.
Huang Mark explained with a smile, "It's less common in Hong Kong. If you go to Southeast Asia, most of the ports where ocean ferries stop are British and French. At first, it was common to see children diving for money, and then adults followed suit."
Finally meeting someone who knows his stuff, he was eager to show off in front of the adults and children. However, only Zhenzhen and Chu Wang showed up. Mrs. Sun and Mr. Sun just glanced out the window and said, "It's okay to pay in the shallow waters, but they're also coming over here from the deep sea. I guess they're afraid of being broke."
When Qiao Maling heard this, she agreed with Mrs. Sun, "It's so pitiful."
Mr. Huang looked even more unhappy.
Mr. Sun continued, "Mrs. Sun is really trying to be your matchmaker."
Xie Zeyi also laughed: "Really, Madam Sun?"
"If there's a girl I like, I'll definitely introduce her to you first."
"Thank you very much, Mrs. Sun."
Huang Mark was already angry, and when he heard this, he stood by the window with his hands on his hips and spoke in a way that was somewhat inappropriate to the situation. "I'm used to white women being straightforward, so I'm afraid you won't be able to adapt to the roundabout ways of Chinese women, don't you think, Mr. Xie?"
His words were strange. After hearing them, Xie Zeyi raised his eyes and looked only at Qiao Maling. The latter laughed bitterly and said in French: "Huang Mark, you are very knowledgeable, aren't you? Haha."
After saying this, Qiao Maling stood up, took her coat from the hook, and left the restaurant angrily.
I don't know if Xie Zeyi's French is not good or if he pretends not to understand and raises his eyebrows to ask, "What is Mrs. Huang talking about?"
At least Chu Wang understood it and couldn't help but sigh - it seemed that the conflict between the young couple had finally broken out.
Huang Mark smiled awkwardly and turned his head away without saying anything. Just as the scene in the sea outside the window was heating up, Xie Zeyi took a quick look and said, "A few years ago, when Germany was defeated, British warships sailed into the port of Hamburg and threw cigarette butts and pennies into the sea, and many people rushed to grab them. This kind of thing is most likely to make people feel sad about the weak country."
Huang Mark said, "Mr. Xie is a British gentleman. How did he understand the sorrow of a weak nation?"
Xie Zeyi smiled, as if he was too lazy to argue with him. He raised his chin slightly and asked, "Why don't you go after him?"
Huang Mark coughed lightly, apologized to Mr. and Mrs. Sun, picked up his coat and hurried out of the restaurant.
——
The banquet ended in a bad mood. Her aunt had originally told her to follow Xie Zeyi to broaden her horizons, but instead of broadening her horizons, she had watched helplessly as a drama of family discord ensued.
But what Chu Wang couldn't understand was that Xie Zeyi, who had always been good at dealing with people, seemed determined not to show any mercy to Huang Mark tonight, as if he wanted to make him return home disappointed.
Could it be that this person still has feelings for Sister Ma Ling, so when they meet their rivals, he is extremely jealous?
Back in her room, Mrs. Ge was still sound asleep. Mi Qiu had the servants bring her lots of snacks and fruits, filling her desk with them, fearing she wouldn't be able to keep her well fed. She wanted to share her food with Zhen Zhen, but she figured Mrs. Qiao had already put her to bed. Just as Mi Qiu was about to take her to wash up, there was a knock on the door. Li Qi went to check on the door, and Xue Zhen Zhen was standing there, whispering, "Please ask Chu Wang to come out. I have something very, very important to talk to you about."
"What's up?"
"Sister Ma Ling and Mr. Huang haven't returned yet, and my aunt is going crazy." Xue Zhenzhen lowered her voice. "I'm the only one who knows that they had a fight today. You said this ship is so small, where will they go?"
She put on her clothes and was about to go out with Zhenzhen when she heard Mrs. Ge sneer from behind: "What do you mean, only you know, how could Mrs. Qiao not know? She's afraid that she can't come forward herself, so she's using you as a pawn. She openly asked you to come to Chu Wang, but what can you two little ones do? Aren't you just begging me?"
Zhenzhen stuck out her tongue at Chu Wang embarrassedly, "Nothing can be hidden from Mrs. Ge."
"My good-for-nothing sister never handles household chores well. She always begs me to make decisions for her. She's incompetent herself, and the same goes for her daughters. It's endless, and they never get any benefits after all." Mrs. Ge lazily raised her eyelids and instructed Mi Qiu, "You might as well take them both to see the fun, to see how young couples quarrel these days. Don't intervene if they start fighting, just try to stop them and make sure no one gets killed."
Mi Qiu smiled and said, "Yes, how can we let our wife do everything for her personally?"
After a pause, she called Mi Qiu again, "Don't go either. That Huang guy is out doing business, and he's bound to have a lighter with him. If my niece really wants to fight, you guys won't be able to stop her. Go knock on Young Master Xie's door next door. He's a man of ideas. Ask him to take them to see what's going on."
Mrs. Ge lazily said, "Just watch the fun, don't let anyone get killed." This kind of words really stunned everyone. Chu Wang was not surprised at all. She felt that when Mrs. Ge said this, she would be the only one who could help.
Mi Qiu hurriedly knocked on the door next door and explained everything in a few words. Xie Zeyi said lightly, "I know" and let it go.
The cabin was dark and filled with a strong wind. Xie Zeyi donned a thin windbreaker and sauntered out of the room. A draft blew through the hallway, and the windbreaker fluttered in the breeze, making it seem as if the coat hung from his broad shoulders, leaving his body empty and light beneath.
He stood at the door and waved to the two girls, saying in a Hong Kong-style Northeastern dialect that he had picked up somewhere, "Let's go."
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