money player

"When you weren't back, sir, my third sister told me that Shuying's foster father had come looking for Tang Yiying. The two of them chatted in the courtyard for quite a while, and it seems they even had an argument."

"You've been neighbors with Lu Xiaojia and his wife for many years, surely you've heard that Tang Yiying and Lu Xiaojia were once together?"

"Everyone knows about how the two of them sold off Pujie's property back then, how could I not know? I'm worried..." Fei Baoshu hesitated.

Sin Yiu-man chuckled and said, "Are you worried that the two of them will rekindle their old flame?"

"She's with the master now."

Xian Yaowen pinched Fei Baoshu's chin. "You probably misunderstood my relationship with her. The relationship between us that requires mutual responsibility is an employer-employee relationship. She works for me and for you. I take care of her life and also give her shares and dividends."

As for what you perceive as a romantic relationship, at best, we were a pair of adulterers. I didn't make any promises to her, and she has no obligation to me. Even if she had something going on with Lu Xiaojia, I wouldn't blame her. She's a free person, and it's her freedom to be with whomever she wants.

"But she lives at home, what will people outside say?"

"People can say whatever they want, and you can't control what they say. I overheard some employees gossiping about me and the actresses in the restroom of Friendship Company. They said I was with two actresses at the same time in the office. They described it so vividly, they could even make up the dialogue and actions. And you know what, it sounded pretty convincing."

Fei Baoshu chuckled and said, "You can listen to others making fun of you with great interest?"

“It’s normal for people to talk about each other. The bigger the fame, the more people will talk about her. You women are at a disadvantage in this regard. Take Li Mei for example. She’s sexy and famous. I bet dozens of men have already said they’ve slept with her.”

Do men think about sex when they see a pretty woman?

"Women are pretty much the same when they see a handsome man, you know Zhang Yang, right?"

"He's very famous now."

“He told me that during a social gathering, a wealthy woman would tease him with her toes, and my husband was sitting at the same table.”

"How courageous."

Do you know how Lu Xiaojia and his wife have been making a living these past two years?

"I don't know. When I was their neighbor, I didn't see them doing any kind of business. They probably just spent their savings."

"If Lu Yongxiang had left Lu Xiaojia a large fortune back then, Lu Xiaojia wouldn't have had to do those kinds of things. One day, you can ask Yuan Huixie to go shopping at a department store alone and try to find out what's going on."

Why would you want to find out this?

"As you said, Tang Yiying is now with me. It would be impolite for Lu Xiaojia to go to her directly without going through me. Lu Xiaojia should understand this. He probably has a reason he can't help. What do you think it might be?"

"Lack of money?"

“Possibly.” Xian Yaowen nodded. “After all, they are Shuying’s foster parents. Once you understand the situation, send a telegram to Shuying and ask for her opinion. I will help her carry out her plans.”

Fei Baoshu hooked his arm around Xian Yaowen's neck, "You seem to dote on Shuying even more than I do."

"She is my daughter, and also my confidante."

"Hehe, I wonder how Shucheng is doing lately. I haven't been in touch with her for a while."

"That's great, they've opened a flower shop right next to the coffee shop."

Fei Baoshu tightened his grip on Xian Yaowen's neck, pressed his face against his, and murmured, "Master, thank you."

There's no need for thanks between us.

Xian Yaowen understood that Fei Baoshu's thanks were mainly for his help in handling the ambiguous relationship between him and Sun Shucheng properly, so as not to make a fool of himself or embarrass her.

The two chatted privately for a while longer. When Tang Yiying and Jin Jingyan returned, Xian Yaowen asked Fei Baoshu to prepare dinner and summoned Tang Yiying to his side.

As soon as Tang Yiying sat down, she took out a jade pendant and said as if presenting a treasure, "This is the Zigan pendant I just received today."

Xian Yaowen glanced at the jade pendant. "Zi Gang brand is famous, but does that mean you're this happy? You'll just accept it for a few dollars?"

“It’s not hard to tell the difference between genuine and fake Zigan jade pendants. People who collect them generally know their stuff, so how could they possibly sell them for just a few dollars?” Tang Yiying pointed to the jade pendant. “The price of Zigan jade pendants has always been very stable, and there’s never a market for them. Do you know why?”

"I don't know anything about antiques, just tell me directly."

“Those who own Zigan brand items will not sell them easily. Zigan brand items are hard currency that can be carried with you, a life-saving treasure kept at the bottom of your chest. They would rather sell Yuan blue and white porcelain than sell Zigan brand items. They will never sell them unless they are desperate.”

"Oh." Xian Yaowen understood Tang Yiying's subtext, "You mean a good market is coming?"

Tang Yiying put away the jade pendant. "Today, six customers came and bought eleven items. Excluding this Zigang pendant, the other ten items can be sold back in Hong Kong for a profit of about 1."

Hong Kong dollars?

"Taiwan Dollar".

"That's quite a lot."

Tang Yiying picked up Xian Yaowen's teacup and took a sip. "You're back so early today?"

Xian Yaowen recounted the matter of Wang Youjia.

After listening, Tang Yiying smiled sarcastically, "Wang Youjia has taken a liking to you and wants to use you as his new backer."

"What rumors have you heard outside?"

“I didn’t just hear it, I saw it. Once I saw Tang Jishan sitting with a woman at the Polly Road restaurant. That woman looked like that kind of woman. The two of them were getting quite intimate.”

"It can't be just a charade, can it?"

“I only saw one. Who knows how many Tang Jishan has seduced, and maybe she has already brought them home. She may have even spoken rudely to Wang Youjia.”

Sin Yiu-man nodded slightly. "It's not impossible."

Tang Yiying leaned against Xian Yaowen and asked, "Wang Youjia knows many powerful figures in the Kuomintang. Are you planning to take her in?"

"Ah."

"That's good. With her connections, you can accomplish a lot, right?"

"It's the icing on the cake."

Tang Yiying shifted to a more comfortable position. "Lu Xiaojia came to the store to see me again today."

"again?"

"He came to my residence to see me. How could you have kept it from him?" Tang Yiying teased.

"There's no question of hiding anything. You have your social life, and you don't need to report to me who you've met. I won't stop you from meeting with anyone."

Tang Yiying grasped Xian Yaowen's hand and gently kneaded it with her fingers. "Lu Xiaojia is probably having a hard time right now. He came to me wanting to partner with me in the antique business. I didn't agree to him last time, but he came again today."

"Oh, why won't you agree?"

"Why should I agree? He knows nothing about antiques, has no connections, and won't be of any help."

Do you know what kind of business Lu Xiaojia used to make?

"In Taipei?"

"Ah."

"It seems he invested in an underground bank, but something must have happened, and the business couldn't continue, so he had to find another way." Tang Yiying said disdainfully, "He still thinks I'm the same old me, someone he can easily manipulate. He's so arrogant even when he's asking for help."

"Oh, did you make things clear today?"

"I've explained it clearly."

"Pretend I don't know about this. Baoshu will try to find out from Yuan Huixie. If Lu Xiaojia and his wife are really in trouble, I will probably lend a hand."

"For the sake of the relationship with the foster parents?"

"Ah."

“Lu Xiaojia is quite lucky,” Tang Yiying said with an ambiguous meaning.

As soon as she finished speaking, she sat up straight. "Someone's coming. I've never seen them before."

Xian Yaowen glanced back and saw that it was Lian Qing. "Lian Qing, she hangs out with the US military club, she must be here to see me. You go inside first, I'll talk to her for a bit."

"it is good."

Tang Yiying and Lian Qing passed each other. Lian Qing walked into the pavilion and sat down opposite Xian Yaowen.

"Miss Lian, are you done?"

"It's over." Lian Qing crossed his legs and lit a cigarette.

"What is it?"

Lian Qing exhaled a smoke ring and said unhurriedly, "Mr. Xian, I can hear some useful information at the US military club, but I don't know who to sell it to. I would like to ask you to point me in the right direction."

"That shouldn't be the case. So many people are eyeing American aid, yet no one has reached out to you?"

"Hmph." Lian Qing sneered, "They're all self-righteous people. Not only do they want to get information for free, but they also want to sleep with me."

Xian Yaowen picked up the teacup, poured out the stale tea, poured in fresh tea, and took a sip. "Miss Lian, last time we met, I could still see shyness on your face, but this time..."

"Is Mr. Xian implying that I have lost all sense of shame?"

Xian Yaowen waved his hand. "No, what I meant was that you've adapted to your current environment and are thriving. Are you still in a relationship with Lucas?"

"Him? Hmph! He's already tired of me and is now playing with the one inside."

"Oh, come with me to a restaurant another day. I'll introduce you to people who might be interested. I won't get involved in the discussions."

"Thank you, Mr. Xian."

Xian Yaowen chuckled, "There's no need for repayment. Miss Lian, you are a valuable resource to some people. I'm just acting as a go-between and gaining favors in return. That's enough."

Lian Qing said coquettishly, "Mr. Xian, do you look down on me?"

"In the torrent of worldly affairs, it takes countless hardships to gain a foothold. Even a weak woman like you, Miss, has not had many choices after emerging from the turmoil. Don't worry, I will not look down on you."

Lian Qing was moved and said, "Thank you."

Are the information you have right now timely?

"Fortunately."

"I have an answer. Wait for my message."

"it is good."

Then they fell silent, one smoking and the other sipping tea, sitting quietly and listening to the wind.

A string of southern wind chimes hangs in the pavilion, tinkling, tinkling.

a long time.

Lian Qing left, and Fei Baoqi arrived.

"Dinner will be served soon."

Did you call your brother-in-law?

“He’s been busy with social engagements lately and hasn’t been home for dinner for a while.”

"The damage caused by the two typhoons is considerable, and many people will need to take out loans to make ends meet."

“During the typhoon, gatherings among fellow villagers became more frequent than usual. News from North Korea made some people realize the situation and start planning for the future. I was thinking, maybe I should also start a business.”

“With me here, why would you need to rack your brains, Sister?” Sin Yiu-man smiled slyly.

Fei Baoqi chuckled and said, "Yes, you can help me make a decision."

"My sister also contributed to the antique business. She can ask Baoshu for shares. As for the rest, I'll look for more for her."

Fei Baoqi laughed and said, "I didn't do anything. I wouldn't dare to take the shares of Jing Shu Zhai. Please help me take care of the other businesses."

"Sister, you can rest assured. I will do my best to find you a business that you don't have to worry about."

"I trust you to handle things." As soon as she finished speaking, Fei Baoqi covered her mouth and laughed.

"Sister, I'm going back to Hong Kong in a few days. Would you like to come and stay with Baoshu for a while?"

"You're going back for something?"

"Du Yuesheng probably doesn't have much time left, I need to go there."

"Is Baoshu going with you?"

“She doesn’t need to go. I was thinking that she’s been living in Taipei for a while now, and the place in Hong Kong is getting a bit deserted. She should go back to revitalize it. My sister can also go there to relax. There’s no shortage of mahjong partners there, so she can play mahjong.”

“I’ve never been to Hong Kong before, it would be nice to go for a few days.” Fei Baoqi nodded, paused for a moment, and then said, “Have you run into some trouble and want Baoshu to leave Taipei?”

"Sister, you're overthinking it. It's just a short stay. You can come back whenever you want. If you feel like going out for a trip, you can go. I told Baoshu before that I would take her on a luxury cruise, but I haven't been able to find the time. If you're interested, you can go with Baoshu. You two sisters can take a round-the-world trip."

Fei Baoqi sighed, "Yaowen, you're so wonderful, I'm actually a little jealous of Baoshu."

"hehe."

A few moments.

Fei Baoshu came out and called for dinner to be served. The three of them went into the house and went to the sofa to invite the others to sit at the dining table.

The suggestion to give up the head seat was just a joke; Sin Yiu-man still sat in the head seat, Wang Youjia sat on the left, Fei Baoshu sat on the right, and the others sat as they pleased.

There were seven people at the table: eight women and one man.

After opening a bottle of red wine, Xian Yaowen went around the table pouring wine for everyone. He returned to the head of the table, poured himself a glass, and then invited Wang Youjia to stand up and raise his glass.

"Ladies, one summer evening in 1951, I was walking home after playing eight rounds of mahjong when I saw a small white snake as I was about to enter the courtyard."

Fei Baoshu covered his mouth and laughed, while the others couldn't help but chuckle.

"The little white snake reeked of alcohol and muttered, 'Dragon Seven Pairs, waiting for the One of Bamboo, how come I didn't get it?' Seeing how miserable it was, I took out the mahjong tiles and picked out all four One of Bamboo tiles for it."

Unable to suppress his laughter any longer, he burst into laughter.

Sin Yiu-man smiled faintly, "The little white snake was overjoyed to receive four 'one-chicken' coins. She praised me a few times and gave me a parting message: 'Sister You, may the Sin family prosper.'"

This proverb is somewhat perfunctory, easy to understand, and without any mystery. At noon, I happened to run into Ms. Wang Youjia at Zhuangyuanlou. I shamelessly insisted on calling her "sister," and she was kind-hearted and did not look down on me.

But I'm still worried she might change her mind later, so I'm announcing this to everyone here.

Xian Yaowen turned to Wang Youjia and said, "Today, Ms. Wang Youjia and I are sworn siblings. From now on, we are one family, bound by the same breath. Sister, your brother respects you."

Seeing that Xian Yaowen's cup was three inches shorter than hers, Wang Youjia was smug, thinking that her efforts had not been in vain. She pressed her cup down a third of the way and clinked it against Xian Yaowen's cup, saying, "Awen, this is a toast from your older sister."

The two took a sip of wine, and Sin Yiu-man immediately refilled his glass. Wong Yau-ka led the others in raising their glasses to toast, "Thank you all for witnessing Ah Man and I becoming sworn siblings. Ah Man and I would like to toast everyone."

Looking at Wang Youjia's smiling face, Lian Qing felt a pang of jealousy. This wasn't about recognizing siblings; it was about recognizing a powerful backer. Why wasn't she as lucky as him?

"Sister-in-law and brother-in-law, right? What special skills does this old woman have that make Xian Yaowen so supportive? Yes, this old woman does have some connections; are they in cahoots?"

Liang Huilan muttered to herself as she raised the cup in her hand.

After the toasts, the table returned to normal, and the conversation quickly shifted from the "siblings" to mahjong. The mahjong partners reviewed the afternoon's games, mentioning how they almost won with a self-draw in this round of all four suits, and how they were too greedy in that round of all four suits, thinking they shouldn't have tried to win with a kong and instead just won.

They talked about mahjong, interspersed with local gossip, making quite a scene, but Sin Yiu-man had nothing to do with it. This is what it's like to make friends through mahjong; 99% of the time is wasted, and the important things happen unexpectedly.

Finished eating.

The game continued, with the five women playing a rotating round-robin format. Whoever won would step aside, and the waiting person would enter the game. This alternation ensured that everyone had a turn to play.

Today was special; Sin Yiu-man was with them, providing emotional support.

The next day.

Sin Yiu-man didn't go out; he sat in the pavilion, completely serene, like a beautiful woman adding fragrance to a painting. Lin Wan-zhen, who had returned to report, circled the key points in the newspaper.

Van Fleet was taken by Long Xuemei to familiarize himself with the affairs of the Prince Enterprise.

When the third sister returned from grocery shopping and saw Xian Yaowen there, she came over and asked, "Sir, are you having lunch at home?"

"We're going out in a bit." Xian Yaowen glanced at the shopping basket in his third sister's hand. "What groceries did you buy?"

"I bought two bottle gourds and cucumbers because they were cheap tilapia."

What kind of fish is a tilapia?

The third sister picked up a straw rope from the other side of the vegetable basket, and two fish came into Xian Yaowen's view. He immediately recognized them as tilapia. "This fish is called Vietnamese fish in Singapore, but it is actually African carp."

"Some people here also call it Nanyang carp."

"Oh, it's getting warmer, I'd like to eat some crystal cake tonight."

I'll do it this afternoon.

"Well, you go and do your work first."

After seeing his third sister off, Sin Yiu-man quickened his pace of reading the newspaper. Little did he know that the Wu Guo fish made him realize something: he had never been to a Taipei market before, and he was still out of touch with the local culture.

An hour later, he arrived at Dongmen Market, the best market in Taipei.

This market is the core supply station for the official residence and surrounding military dependents' villages, mainly serving people from other parts of Taiwan. It is the least Taiwanese, but the most Taipei-like.

Looking around the market, the shameless Sin Yiu-man came out, shamelessly approaching each stall one by one, asking prices, and occasionally buying something, so as not to be seen as a troublemaker for just asking without buying anything, and thus not getting the real price.

Steamed buns, dumplings, cabbage and pork dumplings, wonton wrappers, dumpling wrappers, sesame seed cakes, and fresh noodles—all kinds of noodles from both the north and south of China are available. The dried goods section has ham, sausages, cured meat, salted fish, shiitake mushrooms, daylily buds, pickles, and more.

The lion's head meatballs contain water chestnuts, various offal, and many other ingredients not commonly used in Taiwanese cuisine, all of which can be found to satisfy the needs of making hometown dishes.

It also features locally produced vegetables, pork, poultry, and seafood, but the cooking style may lean more towards the "outsider cuisine" approach.

After walking around the market, Sin Yiu-man had a basic understanding of what people from other provinces ate, as well as the abnormal and normal prices of vegetables. At the market entrance, he also met a group of housewives from the military dependents' village who were chatting and exchanging recipes for their hometown dishes, asking for news, and chatting to relieve their homesickness.

If you come at the right time, you can see things you don't usually see. If you come at the wrong time, what you see today cannot be used as a sample to understand the whole picture. You'll have to come again after the typhoon has completely passed.

I visited the Nanmen Market, which specializes in famous local and preserved meats, the Taiping Market and Yongle Market in Dadaocheng, the Zhixing Market and Jiuxinfu Market in Mengjia, as well as some spontaneously formed open-air vegetable markets. I took a quick look around all of them in one day.

The work continued non-stop into the evening. We ate something at the Longshan Temple Night Market in Mengjia, then headed to the Daqiaotou Night Market, and then to the Yuanhuan Night Market, which is located at a major traffic intersection. As the night deepened, we returned to Mengjia and arrived at Huaxi Street.

Huaxi Street consists of two streets. Before 7 p.m., it is Huaxi Street, mainly for the above-ground economy, as well as a few secretive underground businesses. After 7 p.m., it becomes a dark street, where the above-ground economy rests while the underground economy thrives.

The term "dark street" has a double meaning: it describes the lack of electricity and the dim streetlights, with the streets and alleys relying mainly on kerosene lamps and light bulbs from shops and stalls for illumination after dark.

It also refers to the fact that the transactions conducted here are illicit, a "dark" area under the law and mainstream moral values.

Passing by a quack doctor's shop, I heard a woman cursing inside. The words were so vulgar they were not suitable to be seen, but I could roughly guess that she was having a painful abortion.

If you walk a few steps faster, you'll see a few scattered female birds by the roadside, dressed in various styles. Some wear jackets from the late Qing Dynasty and hold a handkerchief in their hands, while others wear clothes very similar to kimonos. The most common style is the cheongsam, with a high slit.

As soon as he entered the group of prostitutes, Xian Yaowen's sleeves were in trouble. The prostitutes enthusiastically grabbed him and invited him upstairs to have some fun.

At 6:30, a gap was torn open, leading to a street shaped like a bucket, a former encampment designated by the Japanese, called Baodouli.

A dustpan, a tool for collecting garbage, vividly illustrates how social filth is concentrated here.

Baodouli remains Taipei's most concentrated and openly legal red-light district. Along the street stand lofts or rooms with eaves lower than normal floors, known as "half-floor rooms." One building after another, women sit at the door or window, dressed scantily, waiting for customers to inquire about prices.

Xian Yaowen wanted to go inside the building, which meant he needed to find a woman to ask about prices. He wanted to find an older woman who would know more.

Whether someone is old or not cannot be judged by their age, but by whether their face is numb. If it is extremely numb, they are in a period of struggle and should find someone with a calm and serene face.

His gaze swept across the faces of the women, and before he could find a suitable one, he let out a soft exclamation. He had spotted the woman, Ms. Gui, who had flown with him on the same flight from Hong Kong to Taipei.

Sin Yiu-man couldn't connect the wealthy woman who flew first class for $300 with the prostitute in front of him. He also couldn't imagine that in such a short time, even if his family had fallen on hard times and he had to go into prostitution, he shouldn't have ended up like this.

The noblewoman was in her early thirties, with outstanding looks and a noble demeanor. She was like a favorite nanny of her employer, someone who would never enter the market and would be hired by another employer at a high price in no time. Noblewoman was much the same; there was no shortage of men who coveted her beauty. If she couldn't stay at one house, she could still become a noblewoman in another.

Driven by curiosity, he approached Guitai, but before he could speak, he was at a loss for words.

He wanted to ask the noblewoman to go out, but he didn't know if prostitutes were allowed to go out in the area, or what to say about going out in the area.

He didn't speak, but Guitai, recognizing him, blushed and took the initiative to speak, "Sir, would you like to come in and rest?"

"Do you still remember me?"

Gui Tai nodded. "On the plane, you'll sit next to me."

"Can I go out?"

"can."

How much for one night?

"Thirty dollars."

"For you?"

"Ah."

Sin Yiu-man counted out a thirty-dollar bill and handed it over, saying, "I'll treat you to a late-night snack. Tell me a story."

Gui Tai's hand, which was taking the money, froze in mid-air, and his expression changed slightly. "Sir, please leave."

Sin Yiu-man stuffed the money directly into Kwai Tai's hand. "Since you can face your old acquaintances with equanimity, why not take another step forward? Don't be shy. I want to go in and take a look."

Gui Tai sat stiffly for a moment, then put the money away, stood up, and said softly, "Please come in."

Following the woman into the building, Sin Yiu-man lost interest at first glance. The rows of small, wooden cubicles resembled a low-end horse ranch in Hong Kong.

He stopped halfway to Guitai's cubicle. "If you don't need anything, let's go out."

Gui Tai turned to look at Xian Yaowen, "Don't you want to go in and take a look?"

"I don't want to think about it anymore, there's nothing special about it."

"Let's go."

Gui Tai walked past Xian Yaowen and led him outside.

The two walked onto the street, and after a short distance, the Xie siblings came close to them.

When Gui Tai saw the two of them, she turned to Xian Yaowen and said, "I was just wondering where your bodyguards were."

“I’m more curious about you. I’m Sin Yiu Man.”

Gui Tai shook his head. "I don't want to say my name."

"I wasn't expecting a response. Would you like something to eat?"

"Anything is fine to eat."

"I'll take you to the Railway Hotel to get a room, and we'll order room service for supper. I'll leave after I finish telling you the story, so you can get a good night's rest."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome."

More than an hour later, Sin Yiu-man and Mrs. Kwai, who insisted on taking a shower, sat facing each other.

As he ate the familiar food, Guitai said softly, "Do you want to hear the story of how I ended up in the Treasure Trove?"

Can I guess?

Gui Tai swallowed his food in large gulps, acquiescing to Xian Yaowen's request.

"If you don't go to Baodou, does that mean you can only go to places with even harsher environments?"

“If we don’t go to Baodouli, we’ll go to the special teahouse.” Guitai paused, then asked, “Have you heard of this place?”

“I’ve heard a little about it.” Sin Yiu-man nodded slightly. “It seems your man didn’t fail in business, but rather offended someone with some influence who’s trying to ruin you.”

Gui Tai raised her hand and wiped her lips with her palm, then smiled and said, "You guessed right again. Now, are you regretting asking me to come out?"

"Wherever there are people, there is a world of intrigue and treachery. Even the most brilliant person needs a plausible excuse to frame someone, otherwise someone will object."

I still have some methods here. As long as they're not stupid, they won't escalate the attack over trivial matters.

"Madam, I see a calm and composed demeanor in you, and I admire that."

"and then?"

"Then what?"

"Just admire it, without doing anything?"

"doing what?"

Gui Tai raised her left hand and pinched the buttons on her cheongsam. "You've already paid for the night, so do whatever you want."

"How long have you been in Baodou?"

"The third character '正' was written with two strokes."

"Twelve days is not a short time."

Guitai stopped unbuttoning her clothes and said self-deprecatingly, "Yes, my body is worthless now."

"Yes, it's worthless now. Why don't you eat and think about it? If you can think of anything valuable, feel free to show it to me. Maybe it will impress me."

"What good would it do to move you?" (End of Chapter)