Chapter 1184 of the Notes of a War Photographer: An Auspicious Day On the evening of the first day after joining the apartment, after dinner, the sunset also sank below the horizon. When Yang’s mother finished clearing the dining table, Mei Xiang, Jasmine and Qiushi
The girl and a mute Cao also sat around the Eight Immortals table and played mahjong.
Tao Canhua, who was dressed in a long gown, was not idle either. He was guarding a cowhide storyteller drum not far away and performed alone the classic piece "Borrowing Arrows from a Straw Boat" from Jingyun Dagu.
However, after just watching at the card table for a short time, Wei Ran discovered that Mei Xiang and Jasmine seemed to be cheating! And they were cheating under the guidance of Cao Dumb!
Even the girl Qiushi, who looked weak and shy, could shake the dice clock casually and produce a "one pillar holding the sky".
Seeing how busy these people were, Wei Ran simply asked for instructions from his eldest cousin who was busy stealing signs, and then got the key from Miss Qiushi, and then went upstairs alone and got into the locked darkroom.
inside.
This darkroom is no different in size from the storage room downstairs leading to the basement. Apart from some wooden printing equipment and a green iron cabinet that stores various potions, photo papers and other consumables, the only furniture in the room is a
A small table and a chair.
The only things on the table were a copper-cased horseshoe watch, a small electric fan, and a small desk lamp with a red bulb.
After a brief familiarity, Wei Ran locked the door, closed the wooden shutters of the windows, and finally closed the three-layer thick curtains, and then began the printing work.
In his busy work, the negatives were developed one after another, and then turned into black and white photos one after another.
Thanks to the aesthetics of later generations, the beautiful fragrance recorded in these photos and a few photos of autumn fruits have somewhat escaped the unique atmosphere of the Republic of China era.
While waiting for the photo to dry, Wei Ran also opened the window, lit a cigarette in the night, and let the slightly warm night wind outside sweep away the puff of smoke.
Looking at the last three cigarettes left in the cigarette box, Wei Ran sighed secretly and wondered to himself what the meaning of this one pack of cigarettes a day mission was.
During the slightly long wait, when Wei Ran came downstairs with a stack of dry photos, the card game on the first floor was still going on, but Qiushi, the little girl, had already posted several photos on her face.
Note. Also with a note on her face was Yang Ma, who replaced Cao Dumb.
Looking at Tao Canhua who was still performing, Wei Ran put all the photos in his hand and several films on the table. He also put the darkroom door key on the card table, "Cousin, the photos have been developed.
Yes, the negatives are all here. Qiushi, this is the key to the darkroom,"
"You will hold the key from now on."
As Meixiang spoke, she had already thrown out a piece of Dongfeng, picked up the pile of photos, and said at the same time, "Qiushi, put the negatives away and put them in the small study at night."
Hearing this, Qiushi immediately picked up the few films and put them into his pocket. At the same time, he, Jasmine and Yang Ma came to Meixiang's side, and looked at the photos taken by Wei Ran under the bright light.
.
Amid the compliments from these women, Wei Ran returned to his room with a smile on his face, took out the shoe brush, shoe polish, shoe polish and other items he bought at noon, sat on the deck chair on the balcony, lit a cigarette again, and watched
A small lamp carefully brushed the leather shoes.
The next day came and Wei Ran got up early. After getting dressed, he didn't forget to take out his silver pocket watch and set the time with the big clock on the first floor.
Not much later than him, Cao Yuba and Tao Canhua also got up one after another. Immediately afterwards, Miss Qiushi also came down from upstairs, called Tao Canhua who had just washed up, and together they went to the semi-underground practice room to start practicing the exercises.
Amidst the vague babbling sounds, Yang Ma also helped everyone prepare breakfast with the help of Jasmine. Cao Mute took a big broom to clean the yard. Even Wei Ran was swept away by Yang Ma.
Arranged a job watering flowers and feeding parrots.
While chatting with Yang's mother, Wei Ran also learned that the colorful parrot with a particularly broken beak was a gift given to Mei Xiang by a comprador from a Belgian foreign company in spring.
Unfortunately, this stupid bird was too noisy, so he only stayed on the terrace on the third floor for two nights before being banished to the cold palace by Mei Xiang and raised in such a nook and cranny, out of sight and out of mind.
After feeding the lively big parrot with a few walnuts, Wei Ran not only watered several small flower beds distributed throughout the small building, but also helped plant the flowers in the small space behind the kitchen.
Those green onions and the like were watered.
After everyone finished their work, breakfast items such as rice porridge, pickles, boiled eggs, etc. were also placed on the dining table on the first floor. There was even a large bag of golden fried dough sticks in the middle of the dining table - which Jasmine had just bought while riding her bicycle.
However, the people eating breakfast did not include Mei Xiang. According to Qiushi, Miss Mei Xiang would not get up until half past nine. If there were no guests that day, she could sleep until eleven o'clock.
I didn't get up until lunch time.
After finishing breakfast while chatting, Cao Muba drove away from the small courtyard alone and went to an unknown place. Jasmine also greeted Qiu Shi and Tao Canhua to the underground practice room. Even Yang's mother began to clean the room on the first floor.
When he had a rare opportunity, Wei Ran took a rag and while helping his nominal aunt wipe the tables, chairs and furniture, he asked in a low voice, "Aunt, I heard Jasmine say yesterday that Shang Xiaoyun saved the young lady's life.
?”
“Not great”
Yang Ma subconsciously glanced at the direction of the stairs and storage room, then waved her hand towards Wei Ran, gesturing for him to follow her to the floor-to-ceiling window facing the small flower bed, wiping the window intermittently.
He explained in a low voice, "I heard from Xiao Su's mother that when her own mother was alive in her early years, she was the second wife of a certain officer in the Beiyang Army. Xiao Su's mother was the fourth wife of that officer who bought her from a brothel.
This chapter is not over yet, please click on the next page to continue reading! Later, when the young lady was six years old, her father died in the war, and his first wife kicked the young lady, her mother and Xiao Su’s mother out.
The three of them begged for food all the way to Jinmen, and Xiao Su's mother resumed her old business. From time to time, she even helped the young lady and the two of them survived.
But within two years, there was a flood in Jinmen. The young lady’s mother contracted cholera and died, and the young lady was separated from Xiao Su’s mother.
It was at that time that Shang Xiaoyun came to Tianjin to perform for disaster relief. He saw the lady begging for food at the entrance of the theater, so he casually gave her five yuan and helped her find Little Su's mother."
"What happened next?" Wei Ran asked in a low voice.
"Xiao Su's mother is a sharp-tongued person."
Yang's mother sighed, "Not only did she adopt the young lady, but she also begged a sweetheart to find a church school for the young lady to study in. But Xiao Su's mother is not young after all. She even choked on her lungs the year she had the flood.
.
Later, as life became increasingly difficult, the young lady took the initiative to enter this industry. If it hadn't been for the protection of Xiao Su's mother over the years, the young lady would have had her bones chewed clean, let alone maintaining her innocence."
"No wonder the lady didn't let me hurt Xiao Su's mother that day."
Wei Ran pretended to be enlightened and muttered, but then asked, "Since they have this relationship, why doesn't Xiao Su's mother come over?"
"Her?"
Yang Ma covered her mouth with a smile, and lowered her voice a little lower, "After Miss became popular, Xiao Su Ma's life was not worried, and there was a manager of a devil's foreign company who was fascinated by her body.
The big fat one.
I heard from Jasmine that Xiao Su’s mother usually lives at that Japanese manager’s place, and she’s afraid that the Japanese would like the young lady, so why would she come to live here and cause trouble?”
"Oh——" Wei Ran responded with a long voice.
"As long as you know this, don't dare to talk nonsense."
Although Yang's mother warned her like this, just by looking at her expression, one could tell that this person was still immersed in the pleasure of gossiping.
Through the conversation, Wei Ran also learned some trivial information. For example, Mei Xiang is only 28 years old this year, Jasmine is just 24, Qiushi is younger, just 17 years old, and Cao Mute is only 33 years old this year.
, the oldest one here is Yang’s mother, she is already 40 years old.
In addition, he also learned in a few words that after September 18th, his Aunt Yang's son and husband were killed by the Japs. She was picked up by Mei Xiang when she fled to Peking.
, since then, he has been following Mei Xiang and doing housework.
After the chat, Cao Muba also drove into the yard. Soon after, he walked in carrying two bags, and after giving one to Wei Ran, he carried the other into the basement.
Taking the bag and opening it, Wei Ran discovered that in addition to a Chinese tunic suit and two white shirts, there was also a paper box. When he opened the paper box, there were ten items that could be used in Rollei.
Film on a double mirror.
"Miss, I'm very satisfied with the photos you took yesterday. I guess I want you to take a few more photos," Yang's mother reminded with a bright smile.
"I will take some more photos for you when I have the opportunity," Wei Ran responded as he put away his baggage, and then walked towards his room.
When he hid in the room and put on a new shirt, he found a rickshaw parked at the entrance of the courtyard, followed closely by Xiao Su's mother, who was talking just now, carrying a stylish white bag and twisting it
An overly round body walked in.
"Beautiful fragrance, beautiful fragrance!"
Far away from the gate, the little Su's mother shouted loudly like the noisy parrot, "Is this damn girl still sleeping in? Akimi! Wake her up quickly, Mr. Ueda is coming soon.
It’s gone! Qiushi! Where’s Qiushi? Jasmine!”
Whooshing all the way, Xiao Su's mother also ran into the small building like a thick fleshy whirlwind.
Although she was startled by Wei Ran who looked at her with a smile, the little Su's mother still ran upstairs and said, "You, what is your name, Wei?"
"Weiran"
"What kind of bad name is this?"
Xiao Su's mother murmured something particularly disgusting, and then continued to say in a loud voice, "When Mr. Ueda comes, you go to the basement and hide, and I won't let you out. You are not even allowed to make a fart sound."
After saying that, little Su's mother didn't even wait for Wei Ran's response, and went upstairs without a trace.
Seeing this, Wei Ran and Yang Ma looked helpless and looked at each other. The latter pointed upstairs, then turned around and got into the kitchen, obviously intending to be out of sight and out of mind.
Immediately afterwards, Jasmine and Qiushi also came up from the basement and quickly went upstairs.
Less than 20 minutes later, when Qiu Shi called Wei Ran and Tao Canhua up to the second floor, Mei Xiang had already put on the small dress she had worn during the photo shoot yesterday, and even had a pair of lace gloves on her hands.
"Cousin, you can go sit in the darkroom and don't make any sound."
Meixiang, with the help of Jasmine, applied makeup and makeup on her face and said to herself, "Niece, you can play the erhu behind the screen later. You can play whatever music you want. You can't do it unless the hoof clock rings.
stop."
"Just me?" Tao Canhua asked nervously.
"You are enough on your own," Mei Xiang said and looked at Wei Ran, "Can I trust you?"
"Don't worry, cousin," Wei Ran responded with a smile.
Hearing this, Mei Xiang smiled, and then nodded to Qiushi. Upon seeing this, the latter immediately opened a jewelry box and took out two small silver pistols.
Although he and the other party were separated by a table, Wei Ran still recognized it at a glance. One of the two small pistols was the one he saw later - the silver dollar inlaid on the grip patch of the small pistol.
It's so recognizable.
Because of this, Wei Ran focused all his attention on another small pistol that was almost identical.
This small pistol also uses a grip patch that seems to be made of ivory, but unlike the other one, the patch of this pistol does not have a silhouette of a costumed figure carved on it. Instead, it is inlaid with each other in the center.
There is a silver coin that is only slightly larger than the thumbnail.
This chapter is not finished yet, please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content! Taking advantage of Miss Qiushi loading bullets into the magazines of two small pistols, Wei Ran observed carefully, only to find that this gun was not used in later generations.
The small pistol I have seen is not Browning's 1906, but another twin sister product, the 1908 pocket pistol from Colt. This can be distinguished from the safety notch on the slide and the inscription on the slide.
.
Not only that, there is no drama engraved on the sleeve of this small Colt pistol.
As for the two silver coins inlaid on the grip patch, the exposed side of one of them not only has the profile of Yuan Datou, but also has the embossed words "Five Years of the Republic of China".
When Qiushi loaded the magazine on the Colt and turned it over, he also noticed that on the other side of the grip patch, there were no silver coins inlaid, except for the "
In addition to the words "one dime", there are also the words "every ten pieces are equivalent to one circle".
While Wei Ran was secretly staring at the two small pistols, Mei Xiang had already picked up the Colt and skillfully pulled the slide to load the bullet, then clicked the safety, and then pinned it to her skirt.
Put it on the stockings that cover it.
A little later, Qiushi, a little girl who looked at humans and animals as harmless, also put the safety on the bullet of the small pistol that Wei Ran had seen in later generations, and put it in the white apron pocket she had just put on.
It was only then that Meixiang said bluntly to Wei Ran, "I still can't trust you, and I'm not used to relying on men."
"understand"
As Wei Ran spoke, he glanced at Xiao Su's mother who seemed to have been accustomed to this for a long time.
"What are you looking at?"
Xiao Su's mother glanced at Wei Ran with extremely disgusted eyes, carried her bag and walked downstairs while saying, "Protect Mei Xiang, if something happens to her, I won't spare you, you stinky Qiu Ba!"
"Little Su's mother"
Mei Xiang stopped Xiao Su's mother who was about to go downstairs and said with a smile, "Since last night, Wei Ran is my fourth aunt's cousin, and Can Hua has also changed his gender to Tao. He calls me aunt. What do you think?
How about it?"
"He called you aunt?"
Xiao Su's mother automatically ignored Wei Ran, glanced at Tao Canhua with disdain, and said incomprehensibly, "Wenwen is weak and useless, but he is as cowardly and virtuous as your stupid nephew who doesn't know whether to live or die, so that's it
Bar."
"What do you think of my cousin?" Meixiang asked again, as if she was afraid that Xiao Su's mother would forget Wei Ran.
"Just don't be a silver wax gun that looks bluffing"
Xiao Su's mother, who had no good words in her mouth, snorted and muttered vaguely as she continued walking downstairs, "Protect your cousin, Mr. Ueda will be here in ten minutes at most."
Before she finished speaking, the overly round figure of this fat aunt with a greasy fragrance was completely blocked by the stairs, leaving only the sound of heavy footsteps.
"Okay, let's all do our own thing."
As Mei Xiang spoke, she glanced at the delicate gold watch on her wrist, then reached out to pick up the cigarette case and the cigarette holder in a small plate on the table, slowly put them together and held them in her mouth, letting Wei Ran take the lead.
Help her light it up.
Although this beautiful cousin is a heavy smoker, she has a good attitude, and even her whole temperament becomes quite heroic with this cigarette.
“My cousin’s temperament today is even better than when we took pictures yesterday.”
Wei Ran praised her sincerely, walked into the darkroom with Mei Xiang's rather handsome smile, and locked the door.
Opening the window in advance, Wei Ran took out the Camel cigarettes he bought yesterday, took out one, put it on the cigarette holder and lit it. At the same time, he secretly thought that after Mr. Ueda left, he would find an opportunity to go out and buy a pack of cigarettes.
Without waiting long, the second floor became lively with the sudden start of the erhu solo, the sound of footsteps and the flattering Japanese words that seemed to come from Xiao Su's mother's mouth.
What Wei Ran didn't expect was that Mei Xiang, who was just a door away, actually knew Japanese, and she spoke it very well - at least much better than Xiao Su's mother.
What surprised Wei Ran even more was that, whether it was a foreign language addition or intentional, Mei Xiang's voice no longer had the sweet girlish accent before, but instead had a rather strong "royal sister sound".
"Miss Meixiang actually speaks Japanese?" Outside the door, a man who looked like Mr. Ueda also asked in Japanese in surprise.
"Please take a seat"
Meixiang greeted in Japanese, and then explained, "I have been friends with Mr. Someya Yukio, a reporter from the Osaka Asahi Shimbun, for many years. His wife Someya Junko is my Japanese teacher. Of course, I am also Mrs. Someya's
Chinese teacher."
"That's it." Mr. Ueda responded with a sudden realization.
In the living room on the second floor, as Qiushi brought two cups of fragrant tea, Xiao Su's mother, who had led Ueda up, also went downstairs with a smile on her face, and rolled over while her figure was obscured by the stairs.
He rolled his eyes, then sat down on the sofa on the first floor, opened the leather bag he was carrying, took out three envelopes of silver coins and handed them to Jasmine, whispering, "Let that damn girl save some money, this war is in chaos.
If you don’t have enough money to protect your family, you will starve to death one day.”
“I know, Xiao Su’s mother——”
Jasmine responded nonchalantly in a long tone. After putting away the three envelopes of silver coins, she returned her attention to the pile of photos in her hand.
"Where did this photo come from?"
Xiao Su's mother snatched the photo from Jasmine's hand.
Secretly praising the young lady for her knowledge of things, Jasmine, who was arranged in advance to deliberately show off the photos here, deliberately lowered her voice and said, "It was Wei Ran who took the photos for the young lady yesterday. His photos are really good. They are better than those from Dingzhang Photo Studio."
The photos taken by the chefs we invited are all very good.”
"Let me see"
As Xiao Su's mother said, she was already looking at the photos that were developed yesterday one by one, but she didn't notice at all that Jasmine, who used to smoke one cigarette after another at this time in the past, rarely lit up her cigarette today.
, even Cao Dumb, a long-time smoker, seems to have hid outside the yard to smoke.
This chapter is not over yet, please click on the next page to continue reading! "The photos are really good, I will pick a few to take away."
As Xiao Su's mother said, she had already selected a few photos of Mei Xiang from the pile of photos and put them aside. When she saw the last one, she inevitably noticed the group photo.
Seeing this, Jasmine also followed Mei Xiang's instructions in advance and said in a timely manner, "Yesterday, the lady regretted that Xiao Su's mother was not here when we took a group photo. She also asked me to talk to you today and asked you not to leave in a hurry and wait until noon.
You’re done, let’s take another group photo with us.”
"This damn girl has some intentions."
Xiao Su's mother's slightly mean fat face finally had a smile again, but soon she threw the remaining photos to Jasmine and put the selected ones into her bag with a look of disdain.
He said, "Who likes to take pictures with you poor servants? I have other things to do and go back first. Prepare a meal for me at noon. I will come back then."
"Okay, what do you want to eat for lunch?" Jasmine said with a smile as she cleared away the scattered photos on the table.
"Let's make braised noodles. Pour in cold water a few times."
While Xiao Su's mother was speaking, she had already hurried out of the door, but she was still muttering dissatisfied, "That old lady can also make braised noodles. If you ask her to fry a steak, you will definitely be blinded."
After the door closed, Yang's mother, who had just been hiding in the kitchen, came out and said with a smile, "Is she going back to change clothes?"
"You must take good care of yourself."
Jasmine also said teasingly, "Xiao Su's mother is so beautiful, maybe she can wear the mink coat that she has been showing off all winter and let Brother Wei Ran take some good pictures."
"No wonder you asked me to wash the noodles in cold water several times." After Yang Ma whispered, she and Jasmine covered their mouths and laughed quietly.
At the same time, Wei Ran, who was hiding in the darkroom upstairs, not only did not look smiling, but instead frowned.
Because in the living room just across the door, the Japanese man named Ueda, after chatting with Meixiang for a short time, began to inquire about various trivial information about some famous people he was familiar with in history books.
Just from the other party's chatting skills, Wei Ran could already tell that Ueda was probably collecting some information.
Fortunately, his beautiful cousin Mei Xiang not only changed her temperament, but also spoke impeccably. Although she knew everything, she actually did not reveal any valuable information. On the contrary, she was able to speak without a few words.
Introduce the topic to topics such as music, art or emotions.
Even at the end of the two-hour chat, Miss Meixiang, who spoke and behaved like a royal sister, not only played a song "To Alice" on the piano for the ghost named Ueda, but she also succeeded.
It made him particularly sad to think of his wife who was far away in Nara, and the cherry blossoms he planted in his yard a few years ago.
When the crisp bell of the horseshoe clock rang, Ueda also stood up and sent out an invitation, "Miss Meixiang, I don't know if you have time to come to the seventh floor of Zhongyuan Company on the 6th of next month to attend the dance held by me? By then,
Some of my friends will be coming from their hometown."
"August 6th?"
Mei Xiang said with a smile, "It is an auspicious day, but Mr. Ueda should contact Xiao Su's mother to confirm these things."
"Alright"
Ueda simply and decisively said goodbye and allowed Meixiang to send him downstairs, then put him into the black car parked at the door and drove away.
Behind the window of the living room on the second floor, Wei Ran, who had come out of the darkroom, frowned. The two hours of seemingly innocuous chat just now were not only filled with Ueda's little tricks of collecting information about celebrities, but also before Ueda's final farewell
The invitation to the dance also made him, a historian from a later generation, inevitably suspicious.
Could that dance be a celebration banquet prepared in advance by the Japanese to invade Jinmen?
Today is the anniversary of the first time the temperature in Hiroshima exceeded 1,000 degrees Celsius. It is really an auspicious day.
I just hope it won't be just that pitiful one that seems too fussy.
