At the mahjong table, Cheng Fengtai and his brother in law, Fan Lian sat down to play, the other two who sat at the table were wealthy women. In total, there were six tables placed in a brightly lit room.
Rich peopleof from various families gather here to liven up the night. Birthday gifts and celebrations come and go to celebrate the birth of a mistress' son. In all honestly, it was just an excuse people used to have fun as if there's no tomorrow.
While Cheng Fengtai played mahjong, Cha Chaer who.wore a red dress sat beside him quietly peeling grapes and eating them. Cheng Fengtai turned from time to time and teased Cha Chaer asking her for grapes. Most times, she ignored him but sometimes fed him grapes.
Fan Lian joked, laughed and forgot the rules, litting up a cigarette. Before he could smoke it, Cheng Fengtai glared at him. "Throw it away. My sister is here. she will cough"
Fan Lian threw away his cigarette reluctantly and complained. "Brother in law, didn't I tell you? We came here to play Mahjong. Why did you bring your third sister? Now it's late in the night. A child like her should be asleep"
When Cha Chaer heard him talking about her, she stopped eating her grapes. Under the bright light, a pair of big, clear brown eyes stared straight at Fan Lian.
Fan Lian felt uncomfortable under her stare. He had always had this feeling for a long time that this child who never spoke had a rather evil sinister aura. Her eyebrows and face were beautiful but her eyes were wild and sharp. He did not know how Cha Chaer had been raised but they said her mother was a woman from the south. Miao tribe maybe? Poisonous woman.
The woman next to them immediately complained. "Right, Second Master because there is a little girl here, we can't smoke. It makes us feel stuffy"
"Not only to play Mahjong, Second Master takes her everywhere. Last time, when we talked business, he also brought her."
"Tell us Second Master, is Third Miss really your sister? You two brother and sister don't look alike at all. After all, where is there a brother who treats his younger sister like this. So don't like"
After talking, everyone at the table laughed. Cheng Fengtai only smiled. He was used to dealing with jokes like this. "Nonsense! Your jokes are too unethical"
He turned around. "Cha Chaer, come here, touch one card for gege"
Cha Chaer reached out her hand and pointed at one mahjong stone, the sticky grape juice in her hand smeared on top of the Mahjong stone. Cheng Fengtai wiped it on his clothes. After seeing the mahjong stone in his hand, he grabbed Cha Chaer's face and kissed her cheeks.
"Aha! Now you know why I brought her. She's my lucky star!"
Fan Lian who lost, said angrily. "Don't be arrogant! I also have a sister. Next time, i will also bring Jin Ling'er here"
"Speaking of which brother in law, I want to ask. My wife's name is Fan Xiang and your name is Fan Lian, why is only sister in law's surname Jin? Isn't that a wrong generation name?" Asked Cheng Fengtai.
"When our third sister was born, there was a locust storm. Our harvest failed and our family suffered a great loss" Fan Lian replied. " The fortune teller said this was because our sisters' surnames contain too much water. Because our father was anxious, he added the golden word 'jin' to the name of third sister"
Everyone exclaimed in surprise.
The woman on the right asked, "is there still a grassland in the North at Mr Fan's house?"
The woman across from Fan Lian smiled at her. "Not only the grasslands but also several mountains guarded by their own guards. The Fan family is a fortress. Who ever marries into their family has struck gold"
The woman who asked suddenly became embarrassed. She did not expect a modern man like Fan Lian to come from a primitive family.
Fan Lian chimed in smiling. "What king of the border? That name is long gone. Once the Japanese arrived, they robbed my family. The guards fought with the Japanese almost every day. I'm a scholar, most afraid of guns and pistols. So, I brought my siblings to Beiping seeking refuge with my sister"
Cheng Fengtai snorted and scolded Fan Lian, "You're still not ashamed to talk about? Useless! Instead of defending your own house, you ran away. If the Japanese dares to touch just one piece of grass in my house, i will drive them out"
Fan Lian nodded with a smile.
"Yes... Yes...who doesn't know the second Master of Cheng family's temperamental....just like a bandit"
The women were not interested in the war stories going on in their country and if the discussions have started to get serious, they immediately start joking around to change the topic.
"Lian Get lost tonight. No wonder he complained. I can't believe the Fan family guards fought the Japanese. After studying for several years abroad, no doubt you are accustomed to seeing only the finest things in life. If you have to go back to the wilderness, of course you will languish. It's better to stay in Beiping and enjoy the excitement"
Fan Lian did not argue. He just smiled thinking probably these women have a point.
The woman sitting at another table separate from them turned around and asked Fan Lian "Mr Fan, how is Jin Ling's upcoming marriage to Shen Liu's son? Why is there no news of when we shall come to drink wedding wine?"
Cheng Fengtai joined in, asking. "Right, how is Jin Ling? Your sister once told me before to ask you how the family is doing?"
Fan Lian shook his head and waved his hands impatiently. "Don't mention it again. I declare that my younger sister Fan Jinling has nothing to do with Shen Liu's son, Sheng Ziyun. They are only classmates. It means nothing. What marriage? Where did this marriage gossip come from? Ruining my sister's reputation!"
Cheng Fengtai raised his eye brows. Fan Lian's words provoked much speculations and curiosity. The ears of the people in the room stood up, waiting for Fan Lian to finish his story but Fan Lian stayed silent and stopped talking. This attitude actually showed that he was hiding something unpleasant he didn't want to say.
Cheng Fengtai was the first who couldn't help asking. Sheng Liu's son, Sheng Ziyun was the younger brother of one of his classmates in school.
"What's wrong with the Sheng family's son?"
Fan Lian replied, "After a long time knowing the sixth son if the Sheng family, my sister detested him, refusing to be his wife"
"Oh... don't keep us in suspense. What's wrong with Master Shen?"
Fan Lian played with the mahjong stone in his hand and looked around the room with surprise. "How come you all don't know? He fancies an Opera performer"
Everyone sighed disappointed in Sheng Ziyun who was supposed to be studying, instead preferred to chase after an opera singer
Cheng Fengtai was surprised. "Fancies an opera performer? Such a little kid can fancy an opera performer?"
Fan Lian grinned, "And not any ordinary Opera performer, He is in love with Shang Xirui! Every day he goes to see him in the threater, writes about Shang Xirui in the newspapers. He writes like crazy!"
Everyone sighed again. Being entangled with Shang Xirui, a person full of scandals, the boy's future was certain to be ruined"
"Shang Xirui? It's him again!" Cheng Fengtai said.
"Brother in law has never watched an opera. How do you know about Shang Xirui?" Fan Lian asked.
"He is the number one Dan actor in Beiping. Who doesn't know him. Of course i have heard about him"
The other said with a smile. "Then does the second Master have a story for us to gossip about?"
Cheng Fengtai shook his head. "Some people regard him as Su daji, others say he's like Ma Wencai. The news sorrounding him is not good... Cha Chaer touch one more for gege"
Mrs Liu who sat next to him patted Cheng Fengtai's hand. "Third Miss can't touch it otherwise Second Master will win again"
Cheng Fengtai looked at her and smiled a little, "So, Mrs Liu, would you like to touch one?"
Cheng Fengtai's words were deliberately ambiguous, causing the people in the room to laugh. They all knew Cheng Fengtai's mouth had no boundaries.
Mrs Liu's face turned red. Mr Liu who was watching from a distance laughed in anger. He approached Cheng Fengtai and shoved him hard. "Second Master, be careful or I will tell Second Lady"
Fan Lian Laughed. "Tell her so that my sister can scold him"
After joking for a while, Cheng Fengtai pulled the conversation back to the scandal between Sheng Ziyun and Shang Xirui. Nobody talked about Miss Fan Jinling anymore.
"Sheng Ziyun came to Beiping to study yet he dares to chase after Opera performers. If his older brother finds out, he would ask me to give him a good beating. I got a letter from his brother asking how much it costs to live in Beiping. I suspect it's because he keeps asking for money from his family. This is suspicious. Brother in law, do you think Shang Xirui is really Su daji or Ma wencai? Such a scourge!"
Fan Lian said. "The rumor is that Shang Xirui's nature is strange. There are many who argue if the rumors they have about him is true. To be sure he has credibility, I'm certain of this because when this accident happened, I was in Pingyang"
Fan Lian was the younger brother of Second Lady and was also the cousin of Chang Zixhin so of course, he knew about the incident in Pingyang.
Fan Lian continued. "In my opinion, Shang Xirui is both Su daji and Ma Wencai. At that time in Pingyang, oh...this is funny! After Shang Xirui and my cousin in law parted ways, the Opera troupe also broke up."
"Pingyang is different from Shanghai. People living in Pingyang might not even know that we have a new Chinese president but when it comes to opera, they know very clearly even more beyond normal"
"If there are actors who suddenly quit singing, like people addicted to cigarette, they will make a scene about it on the streets every day"
"That incident in Pingyang has been told several times but no matter how many times it's repeated, people still talk about it passionately"
Someone asked. "When they separated, why did all the members break apart?"
"They both had their own fans so when the two fought, their supporters also knocked each other down! Especially in the Shuiyun Tower, they were divided into two groups and their internal disputes were very fierce" Fan Lian explained.
"On the day that my cousin and his wife left Pingyang, Shang Xirui seemed to loose his mind. He ran to the Clock Tower and sang day and night. His clear voice was like water in the midst of drought, the life saver of the Pingyang people"
"Everyone in the city stood under the Clock Tower and listened to Shang Xirui's singing. They applauded loudly. The streets were tightly closed and no one traded in the markets. Then Zhang Dashui told his guards to disperse the people"
"Shang Xirui continued to sing. Despite coughing up blood, he continued singing. When Zhang Dashui told him to come down, he walked to the edge of the tower as if he was going to jump down"
"Finally, Zhang Dashui went up to the Clock Tower and coaxed him like a cat. Doesn't this mean at that time Zhang Dashui liked him?"
Cheng Fengtai said in his heart First Zhang Dashui, then Commander Cao. This Shang Xirui could captivate even a prince each time he sang. Who would become his next victim?
"Is it true that Shang Xirui was crazy at that time?" Asked another.
"I don't know if he's crazy or not" Fan Lian replied. "After Zhang Dashui brought him down from the clock tower, he took Shang Xirui to his place. Before long, I also left Pingyang and never saw him again"
Although, the protagonists of this story are both men, but their actions were very romantic and touching, the expressions of the female guests present were filled with emotion.
But there were also those who were jealous of Shang Xirui's incredible charm so they said with sour faces.
"Zhang Dashui met a white tiger. He brings bad luck. Otherwise why did Zhang Dashui loose to Commander Cao?"
Cheng Fengtai became interested. "Mrs Han knows why Zhang Dashui lost to my brother in law?"
Mrs Han just realized that Commander Cao's brother in law was here. She suddenly laughed softly. "I only heard from someone else. Please Second Master, don't tell this to Commander Cao. What do we women know?"
"I heard at that time, both sides had almost no one troops but Zhang Dashui was fascinated Shang Xirui. No one knew what medicine Shang Xirui had given him. It was there that the dragon was beheaded and defeated. Didn't Zhang Dashui still have 30,000 troops? Unless he wasn't sober, there is no way he would have surrendered without putting up a fight"
Cheng Fengtai said with surprise. "It turned out like that! Shang Xirui's ability is great. He really is Daji!"
Mrs Han's eyes narrowed, "What ability? Jinxed! That's because men like to try new things. Shang Xirui is good at acting, one time being Wang Baochuan, another time being Yang Guifei, He's hard to predict"
Cheng Fengtai smiled and looked at Mrs Han carefully. Mrs Han immediately forgot what she was about to say, her eyes caught in Cheng Fengtai's gaze involuntarily.
This was Cheng Fengtai's bad habit, often forgetting time and place. Mr Han frowned making others break out in a cold sweat.
Fan Lian who saw him coughed a little which meant brother in law held back a little. He did this in front of many people. Sooner or later, he is going to be killed by her husband.
Fan Lian and Cheng Fengtai shared the same thoughts since he was closer to him than Second Lady. If Cheng Fengtai had an affair outside, he helped hide it from his sister. For this reason, Second Lady did not trust her brother considering him as an accomplice in disguise.
Someone asked Fan Lian. "So now, Jiang Mengping doesn't sing anymore?"
"She doesn't sing anymore" Fan Lian answered. "Chang Zhixin is a weak figure. Where can my cousin in law show her head? After all, cousin in law couldn't dare to come out worried that Shang Xirui was angry and would make a fuss again"
Cheng Fengtai smiled. "That incident has long since passed, although Shang Xirui is very fierce but does he still keep grudges? After all, he was young. Did he still have the ability to look for trouble with one of the Fan's relatives?"
Fan Lian said, "You don't know but young people can also bite. I'm afraid that whenever he sees my brother in law, he remembers what happened in Shuiyun Tower and forgets himself, going totally berserk"
"Once Chang Zhixin and my cousin in law came back stage to get something. There was a member who was practicing and when he saw my cousin in law, he shouted with delight and by that time, Shang Xirui heard it"
"Shang Xirui was very angry. He mercilessly beat and dragged the couple to the street. He trampled on Young Master Chang's pride! He doesn't care about status and position at all."
Cheng Fengtai who listened sighed "Luckily for him, I was not there at the time, otherwise I would have thought him a lesson even if he was a girl...." He wanted to say a fierce girl but Shang Xirui was not a woman so he replaced it with fierce boy.
Fan Lian laughed mockingly. "Don't underestimate Shang Xirui. You haven't seen him cursing at people"
"He dares!" Cheng Fengtai smiled fiercely then continued. "When you were in Pingyang, did you ever see it yourself when Shang Xirui intimidated people?"
Fan Lian raised his glasses, "Problems due to internal strife, outsiders can't easily interfere. Chang Zhixin didn't want me to help him and preferred to leave Ping Yang so what could I do? What's more, Shang Xirui was someone full of hatred, I could only pity him"
Cheng Fengtai knew Fan Lian's code of ethics was to stand up and just watch from afar. He always played it safe. Cheng Fengtai snorted. He doubted that Shang Xirui needed to be pitied. Hearing from the beginning to end about the ferocity of Shang Xirui, there was absolutely no place for Mercy towards him in his heart.
If he feels sorry for someone who intentionally and mercilessly brought down his own sister, then there would be too many people to be pitied in this world. It would become a sad place where everyone is frustrated.
At this moment, Cheng Fengtai did not have a good impression of Shang Xirui. Shang Xirui was a person full of scandals. His actions are legendary, very far apart from the world of Cheng Fengtai.
Comments
Post a Comment