The next day.
Yuan Pingxu drove three cars straight to the small theater in the east of the city.
In the first car were Yuan Pingxu and his sister Yuan Jinshu, in the second car were Yuan Pingxu's wives and concubines, and in the second car were his adjutants and bodyguards with guns.
Yuan Pingxu and his wife and concubines entered the small theater in the east of the city first. When the owner saw that it was the former governor, he had been waiting at the door for a long time.
"Captain Yuan, have you worked hard?" The owner of the garden was dressed in silk and satin and beamed. You must know that Yuan Pingxu came to his theater every week to listen to plays, and he didn't know how much extra money he earned.
"Nothing, when does the play start?"
"Come on, come on, I've been waiting for you! This is it, I'll take you to the box...Eh? Why doesn't Miss Yuan get out of the car?"
Yuan Pingxu looked at the car parked on the roadside.
Yuan Jinshu, who was in the car, obviously noticed her brother's gaze. She glanced at him angrily, snorted coldly, and closed the car curtain.
Yuan Pingxu could only smile helplessly, "My sister doesn't like to go to the theater on weekdays, so I asked her to sit in the car for a while, and then she came in after feeling bored."
"Huh! Miss, you have a bad temper. If you don't come, you'll stay at home. Once you get on the bus, you won't get off. What's the big deal?"
This sound came from the mouth of the third concubine standing behind Yuan Pingxu. The third concubine was the concubine that the former governor had recently taken.
The third concubine was originally a girl from Xiangxi. She was born in a brothel and had a fierce personality. Yuan Pingxu fell in love with her hot temperament. After only a few months of business, she married her back and became her third concubine.
The third aunt usually took advantage of the former governor's liking for her hot temperament and treated her servants rudely. Even the other two aunts didn't even raise their eyes to think highly of her.
"What did you say? You can tell me, sister?" Upon hearing this, Yuan Pingxu frowned and scolded.
When the third aunt heard this, she was so frightened that she dared not say a word.
Being scolded by the former governor in public is not a small crime. If you usually vent your anger in the room, the former governor will naturally give you some face, but he is not a man who can only think with his lower body.
This is what my sister-in-law teaches my sister, but you, a concubine, are just a side wife, how can you have the courage to say this?
When the eldest aunt and the second aunt saw this scene, they both remained silent and waited to watch the third aunt's joke.
The situation became awkward, and the owner of the garden quickly spoke out to save the situation: "Ahem, Governor, the show is about to begin, should we get in early?"
Yuan Pingxu turned around and said, "Then let's go."
Yuan Jinshu saw from the gap in the car curtain that Yuan Pingxu had entered the theater, and he breathed a sigh of relief.
"Hmph! I finally got rid of him. He has been taking care of me all day long!"
She took her mink coat and got out of the car to get some air. The car smelled like leather, which was very unpleasant.
When the guard saw the young lady coming out, he took courage and said, "Miss, the former governor said..."
Yuan Jinshu glared at him, stopped talking, and walked a few steps in the opposite direction of the theater, when he heard the footsteps of the guards again.
She turned around and yelled: "Stop following me!"
After the guard stopped following, Yuan Jinshu took a detour and arrived at a small street.
The theater is in the east of the city, which is close to the inland river. It is a place for trade and commerce. Various restaurants, hotels, mansions, theaters, and high-end foreign goods stores have taken root here.
The west side of the city is where country people often go to the city to go to the market. Dai Laosan's barber shop is on the west side of the city.
Yuan Jinshu was walking around and happened to see someone selling candied haws of apples in front of him. He remembered that he hadn't eaten candied haws of apples in a long time, and he suddenly became excited.
"Boss, I want two skewers!"
Yuan Jinshu took out the money from his pocket, thinking that he didn't have any money.
The boss handed two bunches of candied haws to Yuan Jinshu, but she looked embarrassed. If the boss could sell things in the east of the city, he must be very discerning.
Although he didn't know that the person in front of him was the sister of the famous former governor, he recognized the mink coat she was wearing, which meant she must have an extraordinary status.
He endured the pain in his heart and said, "Girl! I'll give you this candied haws of sugar haws bento."
Yuan Jinshu knew very well that robbers should not be robbed, so he waved his hand and said: "No, no, I don't have any money, so I just don't want the candied haws."
"Boss, here are three bunches of candied haws on a stick!" Just as he was saying this, Bao Guowei appeared out of thin air, stretched out three fingers and said to the boss.
Bao Guowei gave money, got the candied haws, and quickly caught up with Yuan Jinshu.
"What?" Yuan Jinshu was confused.
"Give you a bunch!" With that, Bao Guowei put the candied haws in his hand into Yuan Jinshu's hand.
Yuan Jinshu didn't want it, "I don't have money to give it to you."
"By coincidence, I was going to the theater to listen to a play. We arrived at the theater together. Aren't you rich?"
Yuan Jinshu raised his eyebrows, "What? Are you my brother's person?"
"I don't recognize your brother? I just happened to see you coming out of the theater when I came."
"Then I don't want the candied haws. I don't want to go back to the theater!" Yuan Jinshu said, returning the candied haws to Bao Guowei.
But Bao Guowei didn't accept it, "That's fine, just take it as a gift from me."
After saying that, he threw another small jar to her, and then Bao Guowei walked towards the theater.
Yuan Jinshu took the small jar, opened it, and saw a layer of white paste. When he smelled it, it smelled like the best cream, probably from the foreign goods store in the south of the city.
Only then did she realize that it was winter and she was walking outside without gloves, so her hands were somewhat cracked by the cold wind.
She found it interesting. She only knew that this man was polite and handsome, but his behavior was strange.
Originally, Yuan Jinshu was a lady who stayed at home, wrote articles and read books, and did not often go out to play on weekdays.
Today I came here because I was angry with Yuan Pingxu. If I don't go back to the theater, I have nowhere to go.
She was about to call Bao Guowei to leave, but when she looked up, there was no trace of Bao Guowei.
Just now she met such a strange person and it was lively for a while. Now that the person left, it became deserted again, and she suddenly felt a little inexplicably lost.
"Hey! Are you looking for me?"
Bao Guowei's voice startled Yuan Jinshu.
Yuan Jinshu turned around and said angrily: "When did you run up behind me?"
Bao Guowei smiled: "It just so happens that I'm going to the theater alone today and I need a companion, so why don't you accompany me for a walk? I'm begging you, how about that?"
Yuan Jinshu pursed his lips, "Okay! Just for the sake of the candied haws, I don't want to owe anyone any favors anyway."
"By the way, what's your name?"
"Bao Guowei." Bao Guowei stretched out his hand.
Yuan Jinshu was not used to this handshake at first. Others knew her identity and bowed. This kind of handshake to show equality was not common.
"Bao Guowei, uh-huh. My name is Yuan Jinshu." She stretched out her hand to shake hands with Bao Guowei.
"Jin Shu? There is a poem by Wang Bo that says: 'The Jin Shu of the Yuan Dynasty passed down the word treasure, and the Queen Mother recommended the golden contract in Qiong's box.' It is the Jin Shu. As the saying goes, it is difficult to trust the Jin Shu. Today, I am the Jin Shu. Please!”
Yuan Jinshu couldn't help but smile when he heard what this man said was interesting.
Afterwards, the two of them walked side by side towards the theater, each holding a bunch of candied haws of apples, which looked a bit elegant and beautiful in this snowy weather.
…
