The First Volume: The Hollow Spirit Chapter 59: Weakness

  Wang Yaozu went home to sleep early, as for the others who were investigating the stock, how crazy they would be after eating and drinking their fill was their business. After returning home, Wang Yaozu fell asleep immediately, having had too many troubles lately, he was mentally exhausted, and needed to recharge his spirit, physical exhaustion is a small matter, mental exhaustion can be fatal.

  Wang Yaoyu originally wanted to sleep until noon and get up for lunch. But he woke up just after a few more points, awakened by the singing voice downstairs.

  "Outside the long pavilion, by the ancient road, fragrant grass stretches to the horizon. The evening wind stirs the willow, the flute's melody lingers, the sunset is beyond the mountains. At the edge of heaven and earth, half of our acquaintances have fallen. In life, it's hard to find joyous reunions, but farewells are many. Outside the long pavilion, by the ancient road, fragrant grass stretches to the horizon. Ask you, when will you return? Don't hesitate on your way back. At the edge of heaven and earth, half of our acquaintances have fallen. With a flask of turbid wine, I'll wash away the remaining joy, tonight's parting dream is cold."

  The singing voice downstairs was not loud, but very clear. In addition to Shangguan Hui, there were two other childish voices. Wang Yaoyu, who had just woken up from bed, heard it very clearly. Shangguan Hui was teaching Xiaoshan and Xiaoyue downstairs to sing songs. Wang Yaoyu did not want to get up immediately, but listened carefully to the singing voice coming from downstairs.

  In the Shanghai Bund, only Leyu Xin was a true friend to Wang Yaozu. Others were just superficial friends, brothers, and elders who called out to him, but they all used each other for their own gain. Only Leyu Xin truly cared about him and would listen to his troubles when he was feeling down. The others, at the critical moment, wouldn't even stab him in the back, but instead something like this happened. Listening to the continuous singing coming from downstairs, Wang Yaozu closed his eyes again, but still couldn't fall asleep.

  Can't sleep, then get up. Wu Ma had already moved the clear water to Wang Yaozu's room very early, and the tea was also ready. After using the tea to brighten his eyes, brushing his teeth and washing his face, and dressing properly, Wang Yaozu went downstairs. Xiaoshan and Xiaoyue seemed to like the song "Farewell" very much, and the two sang it all the way.

  "Yaozu Ge, you're awake." Seeing Wang Yaozu coming downstairs, the two little guys stopped singing and stood quietly to one side.

  "Hey, Ah Hui, you're here so early today, don't you have classes? Or is it another incident at your school?" These days, schools are always having strikes for all sorts of reasons, from opposing war and military factions to opposing the civil war. And sometimes it's just because of dissatisfaction with the school principal or teachers over some educational issue or behavior. A small disturbance can lead to a suspension of classes for several days.

  "Yaozu, you forgot again, today is Sunday and we don't have class. Are you still busy? If so, I'll just eat here and head back home, my homework is all done." Shangguan Hui knows that Wang Yaozu tends to forget the days when he gets busy.

  "I'm almost done, Ah Hui. Let's go out for lunch at noon, I promised you. I have some things to discuss with Xiao Shan and Xiao Yue, can you help me tell Wu Ma that we won't need her to cook our portions today?" Wang Ya Zu rubbed his head, feeling even more tired after going downstairs.

  Shangguan Hui nodded and stood up with great excitement, walking towards the kitchen. Xiaoyue and Xiaoyuan stood in front of Wang Yaozu with some tension, Xiaoyue's hand tightly grasping her sister Xiaoyuan's hand, telling Xiaoyuan not to be afraid.

  "The owner of the uncle's grocery store died, he was a suspected communist, and his wife was also a suspected communist. They were killed when they were arrested. This time you two siblings helped me out again, I will give you 50 silver dollars as a reward. In addition, I want to adopt you, let you two siblings live in my home, are you willing? Or do you have other plans?"

  Wang Yaizu finished speaking and patted Xiaoyue's little head, comforting her not to be too nervous. Xiao Shan, on the other hand, had a very hesitant look on his face, as if he still had his own plans and was thinking deeply in his heart.

  "Mr. Wang, thank you for taking care of us these days. Although the time was short, my sister and I haven't been so happy in a long time, especially my sister. Wu Ma made her remember our mother again, remember how she used to take care of us."

  Xiaoyu spoke and spoke, and tears came down. Xiaoyue had already cried, hearing the crying sound, Shangguan Hui went to the kitchen, but was stopped by Wu Ma.

  Wiping away tears, Xiaoshan continued: "Thank you, Mr. Wang, thank you for wanting to take us in, but there's a group of vagrants who lost their parents just like us, and I have to take care of them. Before I came here, I gave all the money on me to them, but now that I've left, I'm worried they won't make it. My sister and I must go back and take care of those companions."

  For Xiaoshan's decision, Wang Yaowu nodded and patted Xiaoshan on the head, saying: "Good, I respect your decision. You're so young and yet you have such a strong sense of justice, it's great. At noon, you and Xiaoyue will stay with me to finish lunch with Wu Ma. Actually, Wu Ma likes you siblings very much. If there's any trouble, you can come find me again. Of course, if there's any important information, you must come here to exchange money. And the money I gave you, be careful and keep it safe. In Shanghai, even beggars' money gets stolen. Xiaoyue should also be careful, wear boy clothes when going back. Xiaoshan, you must take good care of your sister."

  Wang Yaoyu and Shangguan Hui went out, even if they were still children, Xiaoshan and Xiaoyue also had the right to decide their future path. What adults decided was good for the children may not necessarily be a good thing. Wang Yaoyu didn't say anything else, accompanying Shangguan Hui on the road, calling a rickshaw when they got tired. A yellow cab can only seat one person, while a rickshaw can seat two people.

  Wang Yaozu hadn't been to the Oelman coffee shop for a while, and Shangguan Hui was there for the first time. Shangguan Hui wasn't too fond of such Western-style places. But since Wang Yaozu wanted to have lunch here, Shangguan Hui followed him in. Although she's from a wealthy family and still a student, Shangguan Hui actually likes old-fashioned small restaurants.

  "Two steaks, open flavor soup. I want tomato soup, the rest is random. Steaks are cooked, Ahui how many are you cooked?" Seeing Wang Yaizu enter, a waitress immediately came over to greet him. Since Wang Yaizu was a regular customer of this store and hadn't appeared in a long time, they wanted to take good care of him.

  "Uh, can I have a mature one?" Shangguan Hui had never eaten steak before, and her school didn't teach Western cuisine either. Her school once wanted to invite foreign teachers and also teach some Western etiquette, but the result was resisted by the teachers and students together.

  Wang Yaozu smiled, although he was somewhat bullying Shangguan Hui. But the steak was only 70% cooked, and if it were 100%, it would be charcoal. Feeling that he had misspoken, Shangguan Hui's face immediately turned red. With her face flushed, Shangguan Hui looked really cute, and Wang Yaozu's eyes widened slightly.

  "The steak is seven-tenths cooked, just like me. First, two cups of fruit juice, wine before meals is extra. And prepare a pair of chopsticks." The waitress did not show any expression for the mistake made by Officer Huang, in fact, she had seen many such jokes, and many people who ate steak for the first time had made similar mistakes. As for the chopsticks that Wang Yaoyu wanted, they were also prepared for those who ate steak for the first time.

  Shangguan Hui seemed to be very unaccustomed to eating Western food, and when it came to the main course of steak, she was at a loss. A large piece of steak in front of her, with one hand holding a knife and the other a fork, was really too much trouble. If she hadn't been having dinner with Wang Yaoyu, Shangguan Hui might not have eaten it at all, paying for it and then going outside to find a small stall selling authentic Shanghai snacks. In the end, it was still Wang Yaoyu who helped her out, using his knife to cut the steak first, and then slowly picking it up with chopsticks to eat.

  "Ahui, do you know why I originally wanted to join the Northern Expedition and chose this line of work?" Wang Yaoyu's chopsticks stabbed the steak fiercely, his knife scraping against the bottom of the plate.

  "King Yanzu, you went to France for further study and returned home to participate in the Northern Expedition. You are a young man with great ambitions, wanting to return to your country to serve your motherland and overthrow the Beiyang warlords." Such an answer from Shangguan Hui would make Wang Yaowu feel ashamed.

  "You're wrong, I went abroad to study because my parents back home wanted me to enter the government and bring prosperity to our family. And when I returned to participate in the Northern Expedition, it was because I was rebellious and didn't want to follow my parents' arrangements. As for why I chose this line of work, it's because the battlefield is too dangerous, with bullets and shells flying everywhere, and many people still die at the hands of their own comrades. Espionage, on the other hand, is relatively safer and more thrilling. Am I disappointing you by saying this?" Wang Yaowu put down his knife and fork after finishing speaking.

  "King Yiu Cho, do you love our country and our nation? Do you hope that our country and nation can become strong and never again be bullied by foreigners?" Officer Wong Yiu Cho thought for a long time before asking this question.

  "Yes, I don't like foreigners either, not one bit. My relationship with them is just a mutual use of each other. How I wish that one day they can no longer bully us on our own land. We who have a history of 5,000 years are in no way inferior to those foreigners. Only dogs would go and beg for food at the feet of foreigners. Let's not talk about this anymore. Actually, Ah Hui, I'm very troubled now. Are you willing to listen to my troubles and then forget everything I say after leaving this room?"

  Wang Yaoyu raised his wine glass and drank it all in one gulp. He looked at Shangguan Hui with great anticipation.

  "I'm willing, Yanzu Ge, you can speak. Even if my parents ask me, I won't say anything." Shangguan Hui made a solemn promise to Wang Yanzu.

  "Ah Hui, I'm really willing to believe in a friend, my true friend. But that friend did something that makes me very suspicious. Now I don't want to betray my friend, nor do I want to be stabbed in the back. Normally cold and unfeeling, I've become more and more useless in certain matters. Ah Hui, what should I do? Maybe this is just a weakness of mine!"