"Hey, I just heard you guys say that you bought this house?"
The young woman who resembled Gong Li asked timidly from across the wall.
Her voice was sweet and soft, with a delicate quality that made one instinctively want to protect her.
In the real world, Wang Xu really liked the actress Gong Li. Hearing her voice, he couldn't help but tease, "Yeah, we'll be neighbors from now on. We should get to know each other better!"
"Hmph..." Wang Xu had emphasized the words 'get to know each other' quite heavily. Xu Jiazhen quickly caught on and gave him a sidelong glance.
Actually, Xu Jiazhen wasn't very old, twenty-three or twenty-four at most, right in the prime of her life.
However, since Wealthy had been gone for three years without a single word, the heavy burden of life rested entirely on her shoulders. The hardships of life left a trace of sorrow in her eyes.
Yet, this sorrow did not make the beauty wither; instead, it added a certain refinement that was even more likely to evoke a man's sympathy.
Wang Xu was also a man, and naturally, he was drawn to beautiful things.
Although he didn't have the mindset of 'three years is a profit, the death penalty is not a loss,' he was happy to have a beautiful neighbor.
For the next day, buying furniture, changing bedding, and tidying up the yard became Wang Xu's primary tasks.
At the same time, he didn't forget Yu Zecheng. He found a rickshaw puller to bring him a message, saying they should get together that evening.
Nighttime... "You moved, that's good. This place is not only spacious but also gives off the illusion of being a hermit in the city. It's a fine spot."
Before it was even dark, Yu Zecheng arrived, carrying a bottle of foreign liquor and three or four side dishes.
Wang Xu moved a table into the yard and took a look at what Yu Zecheng had brought: roast chicken, pig's head meat, braised beef, and peanuts.
In 1940, when many people couldn't even get enough to eat, such dishes were no less than the delicacies of later generations.
Looking up at the liquor, it said XO on it—even better stuff.
"Drinking wine and eating pig's head meat, you really are something!" Wang Xu invited Yu Zecheng to sit down and, without a word, twisted open the XO and poured a glass.
Yu Zecheng was also a man of taste. He picked up the conversation and smiled, "Are you afraid the smell of the pig's head meat will interfere with the aroma of the liquor?"
Wang Xu didn't speak, he just gave a thumbs up.
Yu Zecheng still wore that same honest smile. He raised his glass to clink with Wang Xu's and lowered his voice to say, "The medicine you brought has already been sold. This time, do you want money or antiques of equal value?"
"Antiques!"
Gold bars were valuable, but if taken back to reality, one Small Gold Bar was only worth a little over ten thousand.
Conversely, in 1940, one Small Gold Bar was enough to buy a Qing Dynasty vase or a Ming Dynasty bowl. Bringing those back to reality would yield a thousandfold profit.
Hearing Wang Xu's decision, Yu Zecheng nodded with a smile and took a sip of the red wine in his glass.
The next second, Yu Zecheng's smile could no longer be maintained because Wang Xu casually remarked, "Special Commissioner Shi of White Yang Lake area is a member of the Plum Blossom Agency. His real name is Ono Yokosaburo. Whether this is true or false can be known by cabling Yanan."
"Cough, cough..." The wine Yu Zecheng had just swallowed was quickly coughed back up. He looked like he was having an asthma attack, coughing breathlessly.
Wang Xu continued to drink and eat without looking up, merely covering the roast chicken in front of Yu Zecheng with some oil paper. He said expressionlessly, "If you keep coughing, this roast chicken won't be edible anymore."
"Cough, cough... I've caught a cold recently, my throat isn't feeling well!" Even at this point, Yu Zecheng was still trying to maintain his front, making Wang Xu shake his head.
However, he also understood. A Special Commissioner in the White Yang Lake area being a Japanese agent in disguise was practically world-shaking news.
One must know that the real Special Commissioner came from Yanan and had a very special status; he was there to hear reports on the work in White Yang Lake area.
A few days ago, the regional detachment of White Yang Lake area had engaged in a brilliant guerrilla struggle against the enemy in the reed marshes.
Over a hundred verifiable Japanese soldiers had been lost there. For Our Party at that time, it was a glorious victory.
During this period, the outside newspapers didn't have a high opinion of Our Party.
Whenever Our Party was mentioned, some newspapers friendly to the Republic of China government would even mock them for 'roaming without striking,' using all sorts of ways to sow discord.
The Yanan side was very distressed by this, but in terms of hard power, it was difficult to go head-to-head with the enemy. Being unable to fight a decent battle, they were like a mute person eating bitter melon—unable to speak of their hardships.
At this stage, the White Yang Lake area guerrillas achieving such a brilliant victory was a much-needed boon.
After all, the real explosion of Our Party's strength came in 1941, after the victory of the Hundred Regiments Offensive.
Before that, most actions were small-scale. A victory like the one at White Yang Lake area—killing over a hundred Japanese soldiers and wounding countless others—was enough for the Great Man to eat an extra bowl of braised pork. (The Great Victory at Pingxingguan was not a solo operation; there were friendly forces sharing the pressure.)
"Cough, cough, my throat really hurts. No, I have to go back and take some medicine. I won't stay with you today!" Yu Zecheng's face was flushed and his neck veins were bulging. He waved goodbye while coughing.
Wang Xu watched him leave. Being sick was a lie; going back to verify the news was the truth.
However, Wang Xu didn't try to keep him. He had called Yu Zecheng over first to show him where he lived, and second to tell him to be on his guard.
Because he didn't believe that this fake Special Commissioner would just take the medicine and go back quietly after coming to Tianjin.
The chance of Yu Zecheng being exposed was small, but Shopkeeper Qiu, who was in charge of the Tianjin Underground Party, might not be so lucky. By all rights, if the Special Commissioner came to Tianjin, Shopkeeper Qiu would have to meet with him. Even if he didn't want to, the fake Special Commissioner wouldn't let him avoid it.
Once Yu Zecheng left, Wang Xu continued eating and drinking as if he had only done something insignificant.
While he was eating heartily, there was a sudden movement on the top of the wall. Looking up, he saw Xu Jiazhen's daughter.
The little thing wasn't very old, looking about six or seven. She was staring at him eagerly, constantly swallowing her saliva.
Wang Xu saw her and couldn't pretend he hadn't. He waved and smiled, "Uncle has roast chicken here. Do you want some?"
She didn't answer. The Little Girl looked like she really wanted to eat it, but she didn't dare to actually ask for it, let alone come down.
Wang Xu picked up the roast chicken and walked over of his own accord, saying, "Take it. Go back and give it to your mother. Just say Uncle Wang from next door gave it to you."
The Little Girl still didn't speak. She lay on the low wall, biting her finger incessantly.
The low wall wasn't high, looking to be less than two meters. Wang Xu reached out and shoved the roast chicken over.
The Little Girl took the roast chicken, bit her lip as she looked at him, and quickly disappeared.
"Feng Xia, where did the roast chicken come from? Did you steal something?"
"Mom, I didn't. Uncle Wang from next door gave it to me."
"Who told you to take it? You just take whatever someone gives you. How can you be so spineless? How do I usually teach you..."
The beginning was fine, but the end was followed by the sound of a severe beating. The child's crying was mixed with the adult's scolding.
Wang Xu couldn't sit still. If she didn't want it, she could just return it. How could she beat the child?
In a few quick moves, Wang Xu climbed up the two-meter-high wall.
In his view, the Little Girl named Feng Xia was holding a chicken leg with a small bite taken out of it, being beaten by Xu Jiazhen, the woman who resembled Gong Li.
"Come with me right now. We don't have any chicken, so take Old Yellow Dog over as compensation for this roast chicken."
"Mom, don't send Old Yellow Dog away. Mom, I won't do it again."
"Don't cry! You ate someone else's chicken, so you have to give them something in return. We may be poor, but we have pride!"
Xu Jiazhen's home was very poor. They had nothing but an Old Yellow Dog.
Wang Xu could see it now. Xu Jiazhen wasn't beating the child because Feng Xia took the roast chicken, but because a bite had been taken out of it, and Xu Jiazhen felt she couldn't return it anymore.
This was a strong woman. She was beautiful, but she had a lot of backbone.
Earlier, Wang Xu had been wondering how Xu Jiazhen, a lone mother and daughter, lived after Wealthy had been conscripted.
Now he saw. In Xu Jiazhen's yard, there were many clothes that had been washed and were being hung out to dry.
The style of these clothes looked a bit like school uniforms, and they were all for females. Recalling that there was a girls' school not far from Qingyu Street, it was clear that Xu Jiazhen usually made a living by washing clothes for the students.