20 years of the Republic of China

Chapter 495: Second Landlord Mrs. Mei
Jiang Lianheng and the others were startled when they heard the sound of the bead curtain. At first they really thought that it was the ears and eyes of the "Three Tycoons" who came following the sound, but when they looked carefully again, they felt something was wrong.

The two people, a man and a woman, walked into the private room with smiles on their faces.

The young girl was about fifteen or sixteen years old, with makeup all over her face, wearing a green cheongsam and an orchid petal hair ornament; behind her followed a middle-aged zither player, with a dark face and a thin body, wearing a long gown and a western top hat, looking like two street performers.

"Boss, do you want to listen to the opera?"

The little girl spoke softly with a smile on her face.

As soon as he finished speaking, the zither player behind him immediately presented a piece of white cloth with tiny calligraphy on it, which contained some local folk songs and a few common opera excerpts.

Shi Liancheng frowned and waved his hand impatiently to drive them away: "Go away, can't you see we are talking about something here?"

When the girl heard the northern accent, she immediately switched to Mandarin and begged in a strong foreign accent: "Boss, can I have one? It's 20 cents, not expensive."

Shi Liancheng couldn't rush any further, so he turned to look at Jiang Lianheng, waiting to hear his opinion.

The little girl was smart and quick-witted. Seeing this, she quickly walked to the table, stroked Jiang Lianheng's shoulder and shook him gently.

"The boss looks like a big businessman. Come listen to one. I'll help you guys have a good conversation."

Jiang Lianheng was a little confused.

It was not like he had never seen traveling singing artists before; they were often seen in teahouses and restaurants, but this was the first time he had seen someone sitting in a private room and coming in so openly without being invited, like this little girl.

Xi Wenzhao smiled and said, "This happens all the time in the old city. We are used to it and no one takes it seriously. If Boss Jiang finds it annoying, I will call the waiter to chase them away."

Jiang Lianheng really had no interest in listening to the ditty, but the girl's coquettish voice was quite attractive, so he waved his hand.

"Come on, it's not easy to be a traitor. I'm here to support you today. Bring me the bill so I can take a look."

Hearing this, the musician handed over the white cloth with a smile.

Jiang Lianheng took a quick look and asked in surprise, "Oh, you can sing Peking opera too?"

"Boss, this is not Peking opera," the girl explained softly, "this is 'Daoqi Opera'."

"Where is this 'Inverted Seven Play' from?"

"It's the local opera of Anhui Province, Lu Opera. Have you heard of it, boss?"

"Oh, so we are all outsiders!"

Jiang Lianheng didn't understand opera at all. He usually just joined in the fun. He wasn't here to listen to the music, so he returned the white cloth and said, "Then let's perform "Pinggui Bied From the Kiln". Shut up, old man, and sing it yourself, girl!"

The one who spends money says the above sentence.

The two of them did not dare to refuse, so the little girl sang the whole thing alone.

"I remember that on the second day of the second month, the dragon head was shining brightly, and Sister Wang San stood on the colorful pavilion and threw a ball, hoping that the ball would hit a prince or a noble, but unexpectedly it hit a commoner..."

"Third sister, there is no need to shed tears. Just listen to your husband and obey him. Ten loads of firewood and eight dou of rice, you have to spend the spring and autumn in the cold kiln..."

To be honest, the singing is not that good.

It's easy to imagine that if he was a really good singer, he would have been a star in the entertainment industry long ago. Why would he still be going around teahouses and restaurants performing to earn a living?

The song ended and the banquet was over.

Jiang Lianheng and others got up and left the Cantonese restaurant. Under the leadership of Shi Liancheng and Xi Wenzhao, they crossed a road, passed through two alleys, and arrived at a small and exquisite three-story apartment building.

"Boss Jiang, please come in, brothers!"

Shi Liancheng followed the crowd and walked into the apartment building.

Xi Wenzhao led the way, leading Jiang Lianheng and the others up the stairs, turning back from time to time to introduce: "This apartment is nice, the room is spacious, much better than the pigeon coop in the French Concession, and it's not far from the French Concession. Brother Shi and I live downstairs, so it's convenient for us to meet."

"Right, right, right." Shi Liancheng echoed, "Boss Jiang, we have rented three rooms on the third floor for you on a short-term basis. The landlord is a nice person, and we can discuss anything."

"Is this entire building the landlord's property?" Jiang Lianheng asked.

"I'm not sure. The people I've dealt with are all sub-landlords who rent the third floor. The main landlords hang out in the French Concession!"

"I have met the landlord twice." Xi Wenzhao turned around and smiled, "I always heard him complaining that the French didn't make the concession bigger. Otherwise, the rent of his apartment could have doubled."

Everyone laughed in response.

As they were talking, they had already climbed up to the third floor of the apartment one after another.

Xi Wenzhao led a few people to the end of the corridor and stopped at the door of a room.

There was a thin wooden door with a green iron railing on the outside. Although it was already late at night, there was a burst of clattering sound of mahjong tiles coming from inside the house, occasionally mixed with a few laughs.

"Boom boom boom!"

Xi Wenzhao knocked on the door twice, and the sound of shuffling cards in the room suddenly stopped.

After a while, footsteps approached, and then the wooden door was half opened, and a woman in her thirties poked her head out of the house.

But the woman was wearing a dark cheongsam, a pearl necklace on her chest, a new permed hairstyle, heavy makeup, and still had charm. There was a flash of light in her eyes, and when she caught a glimpse of Xi Wenzhao, she quickly pushed open the iron gate and giggled.

"Oh, it's Wen Zhao who's back!"

The woman spoke Mandarin, but still with a strong Shanghainese accent.

"Then you must be Mr. Jiang, right? Welcome, welcome. You must have worked hard to get here so late!"

Everyone nodded.

Xi Wenzhao quickly introduced, "Boss Jiang, this is the landlord, Mrs. Mei."

Jiang Lianheng smiled and said politely, "Hello, Mrs. Mei. I'm sorry to bother you so late."

"Oh, it's just a small matter, Boss Jiang, don't take it to heart." Mrs. Mei looked at everyone and exclaimed in surprise, "People in the north are really amazing. They are all tall and strong. It's really enviable--"

Before she could finish her words, Mrs. Mei's gaze suddenly fell on Chuanghu. The smile on her lips froze and she hesitated.

Chuanghu frowned, looked around, unconsciously straightened his chest and straightened his waist - it was useless.

Mrs. Mei thought to herself: It seems there are exceptions to everything.

After a moment of awkwardness, she waved her hand and said with a smile, "Mr. Jiang, please wait a moment. I'll get the key."

After saying that, he turned and walked back into the house.

Chuang Hu was very angry. He patted Jiang Lianheng on the shoulder, stood on tiptoe, and whispered with gritted teeth: "Boss, I'm telling you in advance. Before you leave, her pearl necklace is mine!"

"Hu, you are so ambitious!" Jiang Lianheng secretly gave him a thumbs up.

Not long after, the sound of mahjong was heard again in the house, as if someone had joined the game to take over.

Mrs. Mei also came over with a few bunches of keys, leading Jiang Lianheng and others to the other end of the corridor.

"Mr. Jiang, Shanghai is full of people, but people from the Northeast are rare. Are you here to do business?" "No, no." Jiang Lianheng smiled and joked, "Country people have never seen the world. They come here to take a walk and have a look."

"Oh, why do you say that? You're from Fengtian, how can you be considered a country person?" Mrs. Mei turned around and asked, "I guess you heard them talking nonsense in the French Concession?"

Everyone looked at each other and nodded.

Mrs. Mei suddenly showed an expression of disgust, waved her handkerchief, and said: "Oh, don't pay any attention to them. Shanghai is tolerant. I am an educated person. Although I have never been to Fengtian, I know that it is a provincial capital. How can it be considered a country town?"

"Mrs. Mei has broadened her horizons," everyone complimented, "but Fengtian is definitely not as good as the foreign concessions."

"That's right, this is the dock, there are many foreigners here!"

Mrs. Mei continued, "Let me tell you, my ancestors have lived in the old town for generations, and we are all locals. Ever since Britain and France set up a concession here and the scoundrels from Jiangbei and Ning moved in, they have been saying that I am a country bumpkin. It's really funny when you think about it!"

"That's pretty fucked up." Jiang Lianheng smiled.

Passing through the dim corridor, Mrs. Mei led everyone to the three rooms at the end, took out the key and pushed open the door.

"Mr. Jiang, can we go in and order some of the things in the room? Do you like them?"

"Good good."

Jiang Lianheng and others walked into the living room one after another. There were only two bedrooms inside. It was probably rebuilt later, so there was almost no living room and no stove. But it was very tidy and had a romantic atmosphere. Walking to the window, you can overlook the Huangpu River with the city lights reflected on it.

"Mr. Jiang, please take a good look at it. Are you satisfied?" Mrs. Mei asked.

"Very good, very good." Jiang Lianheng nodded, then winked at Xifeng, "How much is the monthly rent?"

Mrs. Mei smiled and said, "Oh, no, no, Wen Zhao and his family have already paid the deposit. If you are satisfied, just stay here."

"Huh?" Jiang Lianheng turned around and said, "You two have worked really hard. This is so inappropriate!"

Shi Liancheng and Xi Wenzhao waved their hands quickly: "Don't worry, Boss Jiang, it's rare that you need us, so don't fight over this little money."

Jiang Lianheng had no intention of tearing it apart, and he accepted it with a clear conscience, and just said, "If you have any problems with the counter in the future, come to me anytime."

"Okay, okay, that's all I need to hear you say." Shi Liancheng and Xi Wenzhao replied with a smile.

Seeing this, Mrs. Mei said, "Mr. Jiang, if you are satisfied, I will leave first. If you have any questions, you can always knock on the door and find me."

Jiang Lianheng smacked his lips and said, "Uh...Mrs. Mei, I'm a night owl. I don't know what time I'll be back. If anything happens, I'd better go find your husband...ahem, I'd better go find your husband. He's not here?"

"Mr. Jiang, you'd better come to see me." Mrs. Mei said, "My husband goes out early and comes back late, and sometimes I can't even find him. I'm often at home, so you don't have to worry."

"Oh?" Jiang Lianheng asked casually, "You are so busy, what does Mr. Mei do for a living?"

"He's eating for free."

"White rice?"

Jiang Lianheng frowned, not understanding what he heard. He thought it might mean the same as "living off a gigolo", so he didn't want to ask any more questions. He nodded quickly and said awkwardly, "Oh, living off a gigolo, then he must be quite capable. Okay, okay, Madam Mei, take care!"

After Mrs. Mei left, the few of them started to move into their own rooms.

After some division, Jiang Lianheng and Chuanghu lived in the same room, Li Zhengxi and Wen Tingge didn't get along, so he lived with Liu Yansheng, and Yasipsen had to sleep in the same room with Wen Tingge.

Shi Liancheng and Xi Wenzhao saw that they were ready to rest, so they stood up and said, "Boss Jiang, if there is nothing else, we will go back first. Upstairs or downstairs, please let me know if you need anything. What are our plans for tomorrow?"

"Oh, you two should be busy with business during the day, let's just take a stroll first and we'll find you in the evening."

"That's good, that's good."

The two turned to leave, but Jiang Lianheng suddenly stopped them and asked, "Was this second landlord a widow?"

"Eh? Boss Jiang, you're amazing. You can even see this?" Shi Liancheng and Xi Wenzhao were very surprised.

"What's the big deal?" Jiang Lianheng asked in surprise, "Didn't she say it herself? Is her husband a gigolo?"

It was like a blind cat catching a dead mouse, and he managed to guess it right.

Upon hearing this, Xi Wenzhao quickly explained, "No, no, no, Boss Jiang, being a freeloader and being a gigolo are two different things, but...Mrs. Mei was indeed a widow, her family was quite wealthy, and her husband didn't have a proper job, so he did look like a gigolo."

"So what exactly does it mean to eat a free meal?"

"Uh... I'm just a lazy bum, not much different from a street urchin."

"Didn't you say that the little punk was a street urchin?"

"Well... that's the rich street urchin."

"Young Master? Young Master?"

"That... not necessarily." Xi Wenzhao was immediately in a dilemma. "Boss Jiang, it's hard to say. He may be rich or he may not be. Anyway, this kind of people are quite common in Shanghai. At this time, there are many gangsters in the entertainment venues in the French Concession."

"People on the line?" Jiang Lianheng asked.

"Not necessarily." Shi Liancheng took over the conversation, "Some are indeed suitable, and some are purely empty. They are said to be rich but actually don't have much money, and they are said to be poor but still look very straight. Some are useless, and some are cowards. It's hard to say, really hard to say."

Jiang Lianheng didn't believe that "white-collar workers" were the only ones in the foreign lands. He thought there must be other titles that could replace them. However, he was feeling tired and had no time to ponder the differences between Nanchun and Beidian. He waved his hand and let Shi Liancheng and Xi Wenzhao leave first.

After the two left, Li Zhengxi and the others came over and asked, "Brother, what are our plans for tomorrow?"

"Let's split up and do it first." Jiang Lianheng pondered, "Xifeng, Chuanghu, you two will accompany Yasipson to the arsenal in Shanghai to recruit people tomorrow."

The three nodded.

Yasipsen asked, "Mr. Jiang, how many engineers does Marshal Zhang need?"

"Have you heard the story of Han Xin recruiting his soldiers?" Jiang Lianheng said confidently, "The more the better! Lao Zhang has already said that no matter whether they are German, American, Czech, or Belgian, as long as they are engineers who can make guns and cannons and are willing to go to Fengtian, they will definitely earn more than what they earn in Shanghai. The minimum is 100 yuan in cash. If you are capable, there is no upper limit!"

After the end of the European War, Germany was disarmed. Except for the core talents, many middle and lower-level weapons engineers, relying on the reputation of German equipment, left their homeland to seek a living. The Far East was one of their destinations.

These engineers have no sense of belonging to the Far East, so of course they are willing to work for whoever pays more.

Although poaching is not aboveboard, it is definitely understandable. With the help of Jaspersen, a "fellow German", and his foreign identity, the job is not difficult, let alone dangerous.

"Boss, what about the three of us?" Wen Tingge asked.

Jiang Lianheng thought for a moment and said, "What you just said makes sense. We are on someone else's territory now, so it's not a problem to pay us a visit. Even if they don't want to cooperate with us, at least they can save us some trouble and give us some convenience."

Li Zhengxi didn't say anything.

He actually didn't object to this approach, he just wanted to rebuke Wen Tingge.

Liu Yansheng nodded and suggested, "Boss, should I go back and write three visiting cards?"

"Yes." Jiang Lianheng immediately decided, "Tomorrow morning, come with me to meet the 'three tycoons' in the foreign land."

(End of this chapter)